Historic border initiative to speed up border crossing at Briceni-Rossoshany

Odessa, 21 February 2012: A joint operated border crossing point (JoBCP) pilot project supported by the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) was launched at Briceni-Rossoshany on the Moldova-Ukraine border today. The project, which will act as a case study and ultimately allow authorities in Moldova and Ukraine to verify the feasibility of replicating the project elsewhere on the Moldova-Ukraine border, will operate for an initial period of six months.

During those six months, entry and exit control will be conducted on the territory of Ukraine, at Rossoshany, and the procedures of the border guard and customs services of Moldova and Ukraine will be unified, simplified and optimized. It is also envisaged that the time needed to cross the border for travellers and goods will be significantly reduced. Benefits arising to the border authorities of Moldova and Ukraine arising from the JoBCP include a more efficient use of human and technical resources, avoidance of duplication, the prosecution of joint activities and the deepening of trust between the services. The Briceni-Rossoshany project is a landmark initiative, representing the first time Moldovan and Ukrainian border authorities have jointly established a BCP that operates according to European Union standards.

The project is the culmination of several years’ work by a joint working group led by EUBAM. This resulted in the signing of a JoBCP protocol by the border guard services of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and customs services of both countries, in December 2011, and the signing of a final operational document on 7 February.

During Phase 9 of EUBAM operations, the Mission’s experts will be assisting the implementation of the JoBCP pilot project, by way of continuous ‘on the spot’ assistance from EUBAM’s field offices, and training initiatives. Together with its partners, EUBAM will also be identifying advantages and difficulties with the project, with a view to determining whether the JoBCP should become a permanent arrangement.  Assistance will also be provided in establishing JoBCPs elsewhere along the Moldova-Ukraine border if EUBAM’s partners decide to replicate the project.

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Ronan Goggin

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Maryna Reshetnyak

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Dariia Pokhliebaieva

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Cristina Turcan

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