Moldova - EU Visa Liberalisation Process

1. Moldova - EU Visa Liberalisation Process

2. Visa liberalisation : background • Further advancing on the way of reforming in cooperation with the EU and in accordance with European standards the justice and home affairs area – a priority reform sector for the Government • 2007 – Moldova unilaterally abolished the visa regime for EU citizens • Since January 2008, Moldova has been implementing visa facilitation and readmission agreements with the EU. • The EU Common Visa Application Centre in Chisinau - a pilot project of the EU launched for the first time in Moldova • Moldova is a pilot country having a Mobility Partnership with the EU. Moldova has approximately 60 joint projects with 15 EU member states in the field. • Moldova has been first country in the region to issue biometric passports since 2008 in full compliance with ICAO standards. Starting 1 January 2011 the country issues only biometric passports. • EUBAM

3. Visa Liberalisation: process • Pre-emptive implementation strategy. • 21 December2009 - EU Council Conclusions on Moldova from, containing express provisions for visa liberalisation • 1-2 March 2010 – EU ExploratoryMission • 15 June 2010 - The EU-Moldova Visa dialogue was launched • September2010 -EU expert on-site evaluation missions • October 2010 – EU GapAnalysis Report • 25 October2010 - Conclusions on the Republic of Moldova of the Foreign Affairs Council Meetingallowing further taking stock of the  operational phase of the Dialogue. • 24 January 2011 - detailedPlanofActionsforthevisafreetravelregimewas presented by Commissioner Malmstrom in Chisinau • 4 March 2011 –National Annotated Agenda for the implementation of the Visa Action Plan was aproved. • 1 March 2011 – public hearings in the Parliament on visa liberalisation • 23 May 2011 – First Progress Report on the implementation of the National Annotated Agenda of the EU – Republic of Moldova Action Plan on visa liberalization

4. Visa Liberalisation Action Plan • 4 Thematic Blocks: • Document security • Irregular migration, including readmission • Public order and security • External relations and fundamental rights • 2 Phases: • 1st phase (legislative and policy framework): • 2nd phase (benchmarks for effective implementation): • Impact Assesment Study of possible migratory and security impacts of future visa liberalization for Moldovan citizens traveling to EU

5. National Institutional Coordination • Visa Liberalisation Task Force. Inter-ministerial group, coordinating the visa liberalisation actions. Chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs. • Main Tasks: • Planning and coordination of actions related to visa liberalisation Action Plan implementation, reporting and monitoring of multi-stakeholder activities • Reporting to the Governmental Commission for European Integration, chaired by the Prime Minister • Make recommendations to the Commission to improve the AP implementation process

6. Document Security • Biometric Passports – introduced since 2008. Only biometric passports are issued since 2011. Phasing out of old passports – until 2019. • Ethical Code on anti-corruption adopted, training programmes were drafted and are planned to be launched in September 2011. • Prompt and systematic reporting to Interpol/LASP data base on lost and stolen passports – close to finalisation. • Regular exchange of passport specimens and cooperation on document security with the EU – implemented.

7. Irregular Migration • Integrated Border Management actions • IBM infrastructure – interconnection network of all Border Crossing Points – 30 mil EUR, to be finalised in 2012. • Nearly all Border Crossing Points have access to Interpol database. • Strategy for Integrated Border Management and Action Plan for its implementation – adopted by the Govermnent. • Continued effective implementation of the EU-Republic of Moldova readmission agreement and measures for the reintegration of Moldovan citizens • Border Guard Service – to be included as autonomous institution into the Ministry of Interior. • Transnistria: EUBAM – since 2006. To be extended for another 2-4 years. • EU Mobility Partnership since 2008 – pilot instrument to manage migration flows. Helped implement some of the reforms before the visa dialogue started.

8. Public Order and Security • Strategy for Combatting Organized Crime – to be developed. • Trafficking in Human Beings • Combatingmoneylaunderingandfinancingterrorism • International cooperation and exchange of information (Eurojust, Europol, bilateral cooperation). Implementation of relevant UN and Council of Europe Conventions, as well as GRECO recommendations in the above mentioned areas • Centre for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption, Ministry of Interior – institutional reform. • Protection of Personal Data: Law on data protection approved by the Government, pending the adoption by the Parliament in July.

9. External Relations and Fundamental Rights • Anti-discrimination law drafted and pending approval after additional amendments • In 2010, Moldova-EU Human Rights Dialogue. National Human Rights Action Plan adopted and started implementation • Implementation of legislation and policies on anti-discrimination, implementation of relevant UN and Council of Europe instruments • Substantial amount of work started and completed in 2010-2011.

10. Important legislative and policy framework adopted • National Strategy on Integrated Border Management of the State Border for years 2011 – 2013 and its Action Plan • The National Human Rights Action Plan • National Anti-corruption Strategy • Ammendments to the Law regarding prevention and fighting money laundering and financing of terrorismaimed at adjusting the legal framework to the international standards • The draft Law on the personal data protection (in a new version) • Additional Protocols for Readmission Agreement have been signed with Austria, Estonia, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.

11. Legal Framework – further action needed • Draft the law on integration of foreigners. • Further improve and implement the monitoring mechanism of the National Reference System (NRS) for protection and assistance of victims and potential victims of human trafficking. • Review of the national legislation on interception of telephone calls. • Draft the National Strategy for preventing and fighting organized crime. • Draft the Action Plan for preventing and fighting organized crime. • Substantially improve the existent legal framework on traffic of human beings. • Harmonization of the existing regulatory framework to the new provisions of the Law and Strategy for preventing and fighting organized crime. • Ensuring an effective mechanism to prevent trafficking and to establish an active dialogue with civil society. • Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention (Lanzarote Convention) regarding the child protection against sexual exploitation and abuse, signed on 25 October 2007. • Efficient implementation of the Law on fighting the domestic violence.

12. Institutional Reform • Based on the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan implementation progress report submitted by the Government, further priorities for institutional reform are: • Integrated Border Management • Fight Against Corruption • Combating and prevention of trafficking in human beings • Fighting organised crime, money laundering and terrorism • Personal data protection • Strengthening the cooperation with EUROPOL and EUROJUST. • Main stakeholders/targets for institutional reform: • Ministry of Internal Affairs • Border Guard Service • Centre for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption

13. Priority Actions as per the National Annotated Action Plan • Capacity building – anticorruption, criminal investigation, migration management, human rights, non-discrimination. • Strengthen the capacities of the law enforcement bodies in order to implement the methods and techniques of pro-active investigation of the cases of traffic of human beings • Implementation of new methods and technologies in combatting illicit migration. • Implement the best practices for the enhancement of the personnel professionalism of the Border Guard Service. • Efficient implementation of methodologies of inland detection of illegal migrants.