UNDP in Ukraine

BACKGROUND NOTE ON THE MISSION

The EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) was launched on 30 November 2005 at the joint request of the Presidents of Moldova and Ukraine. EUBAM is an EU Mission fully funded by the European Union. It is an advisory, technical body. It has no executive powers.

UNDP Ukraine is its implementing partner, providing administrative and logistical support.

The Mission’s mandate was initially for two years; however, in 2007 it was extended up to the end of November 2009.

The Moldova-Ukraine State Border is 1,222 km long, consisting of 955km of “green” (land) border and 267 km of “blue” (river) border. There are 67 permanent official border crossing points including international, inter-state and local ones. 470 km of this border on the Moldovan side is under the control of the so-called authorities of Transnistrian region of Moldova, including 25 official crossing points to Ukraine (5 international, 8 inter-state and 12 local).

The “internal boundary” between Transnistrian region of Moldova and other regions of Moldova is not monitored by Moldovan border guards, but there are some mobile customs posts supported by police at road crossing points.

WHAT ARE OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES?

The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) is aimed at the enhancement of the overall border management capacities of Moldova and Ukraine and approximation with EU standards and best practices, assisting the countries in fulfilling their commitments under the ENP Action Plans.

Specifically, the Mission’s aims are:

- To work with Moldova and Ukraine to harmonise their border management standards and procedures with those prevalent in EU member states

- To help enhance the professional capacities of the Moldovan and Ukrainian customs and border guard services at operational level

- To develop risk analysis capacities

- To improve co-operation and complementarity between the border guard and customs services and with other law enforcement agencies

- To promote cross-border co-operation

HOW ARE WE CARRYING OUT OUR MISSION?

The Mission has its headquarters in Odesa, and currently has six field offices (3 on the Moldovan side, 3 on the Ukrainian side). The current complement is 233 including 122 international staff from 22 EU Member States and 3 CIS countries and 111 local staff.

The Mission provides on-the-job training and advice to Moldovan and Ukrainian border officials, reinforcing their capacity to carry out effective border and customs controls and border surveillance.

It also provides customized training courses on key border issues, and organizes study tours to European Union and other nearby borders to exchange experience. Through its work, the Mission contributes to strengthening cross border co-operation and confidence-building, and helps to improve transparency along the Moldovan Ukrainian border.

It has also provided neutral, technical advice on the management of customs clearance for companies based in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, so that they are able to register with the Moldovan authorities and gain access to preferential trade regimes for their exports. Border co-operation and efforts to seek a solution to the conflict in Transnistria featured in the European Neighbourhood Action Plans agreed with both Moldova and Ukraine in 2005. Under the EU’s Neighbourhood Policy, the EU is reaching out to its neighbours in order to promote prosperity, common values and security as well as to help break down trade barriers.

The budget for the Mission until November 2007 was EUR 20 mn and will be EUR 24 mn for December 2007 to November 2009. In addition to the EC funding of the core EUBAM budget under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), many EU Member States are also providing direct contributions by funding secondments of border professionals from their national services to the Mission.

The Mission has been involved an EC-financed ? 9.9 million project called BOMMOLUK (aimed at improving management at the Moldovan-Ukrainian state border). The first part of the project focused on equipment procurement, risk analysis development and training for officers at jointly controlled border crossing points.

WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS?

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova
• State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• Border Guard Service of the Republic of Moldova
• State Customs Service of Ukraine
• Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova

Updated: January 2008

EUBAM brochure: www.eubam.org/doc/EUBAM_brochure_eng.pdf

For more information on the Mission’s activities, please, visit: http://www.eubam.org/