Mission expanded

The European Union is stepping up cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova in upgrading the performance of Ukrainian-Moldovan border checkpoints and customs procedures. Not so long ago, with Kyiv and Chisinau’s knowledge and consent, Brussels resolved to expand the EU mission to provide border assistance to Moldova and Ukraine.

New EU stations will be opened at the Port of Odesa, where they will monitor the performance of customs checkpoints there and in Illichivsk. The expanded mission in Chisinau will be tasked with monitoring the situation on the Moldovan-Transdnistrian border. Ien Boug, head of the European Commission’s Delegation to Ukraine, explained that the new stations will mostly do analytical work. Relying on collected data, EU analysts will help determine priorities, problem areas, and fields of endeavor that require special attention. It is expected that they will issue recommendations on ways to block new contraband routes. The expanded mission will be staffed by nearly 100 people, and its budget is expected to reach 20 million euros by the end of 2007.

This EU mission started functioning on Nov. 30, 2005, in response to requests forwarded by the presidents of Ukraine and Moldova, Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Voronin. From the outset the mission numbered 50 experts from various EU countries, who consulted Ukrainian and Moldovan officials to enhance the efficiency of border checkpoint and customs control. The EU believes that this expanded mission is justified. Boug said it has facilitated the detection of significant contraband activity on the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, and the realization that the border is the target of activities of organized criminal groups.

The EU diplomat stressed that the Union’s mission is helping Ukrainian and Moldovan border guard and customs authorities but not replacing them. Andriy Veselovsky, Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister, cited some statistics. During Operation April, 322 illegals were apprehended on the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, and 52 tons of contraband meat, 63 tons of vegetables, 16 kg of narcotic drugs, and large shipments of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages were impounded between March and early July. He also pointed out that the cross-border smuggling rate is dropping.

Veselovsky believes that the expanded EU mission with its analytical department in Odesa and Chisinau will allow the Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities to organize systematic work aimed at combating contraband on their border. In his opinion, the need for this kind of mission will disappear only after the project is carried out. He also noted that the positive aspect of the EU mission is that the Ukrainian border guard and customs authorities have learned a new approach to their work.

The mission has a term of two years. Ien Boug hopes that this will be enough time to help the Ukrainian-Moldovan border authorities attain a level that meets European standards.

The EU representative to Ukraine doubts that the new coalition — Party of Regions, SPU, CPU — will discard the approaches of the current Ukrainian government to the issue of settling the Transdnistrian conflict. The EU official declared that the settlement of the Transdnistrian problem, including the enforcement of current border control procedures, serves the interests of Ukraine and its future government.