On April 26, 2012 the Public discussion on “Why Europe needs an open Ukraine?” took place in Barcelona. The roundtable was organized by Barcelona Center of International Affairs (Spain),and co-organized by Europe without barriers (Ukraine, Kyiv) and the Economic Forum (ISW, Poland).

By this publication Civic Initiative "Europe without Barriers" continues to present a series of papers relating the latest development of visa dialogue between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries. Let us draw your attention to the analytical report, elaborated by the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (Georgia). The research has been prepared in the frame of the International project: “Paving the Road towards Visa-free Travel between the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU” led by PASOS (Policy Association for an Open Society).

Paper, prepared by the Center of Economic and Social Development (Azerbaijan) presents the analysis of institutional, legislative and administrative reforms in Azerbaijan, also steps need to be taken to meet country international commitments and advance its visa dialogue with the EU. The overview of the legislation on migration, combating organized crime, terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking is also included.

Dear colleagues, “Europe without Barriers” starts to publish papers series on readiness assessment of the Eastern Partnership countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) to the visa liberalisation according to the EU criteria. The papers have been elaborated in the framework of PASOS led project “Paving the Road towards Visa-free Travel between the Easter Partnership countries and the EU”.

German Embassy granted its official respond on the inquiry regarding the conditions of use of a multiple-entry visa in case if purposes of the journey do not coincide with purposes indicated during the application process.

Let us draw your attention on Comment of “Europe without Barriers” regarding the incident with Ukrainian tourists in Germany, prepared by “Europe without Barriers” experts.

The author presents its assessment of the governmental activities in Ukraine with regards combatting trafficking in human beings. Also actions taken by Ukraine for the approximation of Ukrainian legislation to that of the EU are described. The publication contains analysis of the Law of Ukraine “On Combating Trafficking in Human Beings”, which is included into the National Plan to implement the Action Plan on EU visa liberalisation for Ukraine and based on VLAP.

Author’s analysis offers current state of play on preventing and countering corruption policy in Ukraine. The publication also includes recommendation and actions to be taken for struggling corruption.

Europe without Barriers presents Ukraine's country report, published in the framework of the project: "Paving the Road towards Visa-free Travel between the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU". In-depth study contains all the changes relating the EU-Ukraine relations, including visa dialogue occured in Ukarine until November 2011.

“Europe without barriers” releases the main conclusions of independent monitoring on Implementation of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation, granted to Ukraine by the EU.The conclusions were elaborated by the experts of “Europe without barriers” within the frame of civic monitoring.

Europe without Barriers publishes research study: “Making EU Assistance Work for Visa Liberalization: Assessment of Ukraine’s Capacities to Ensure Aid Effectiveness”, conducted by Valeriya Shamray, researcher from the Open Society Institute, (Budapest).

Europe without Barriers released the outcomes of annual comprehensive civic monitoring of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation (VLAP), granted to Ukraine by the EU on November 22, 2010.

The European Commission delivered its second Progress Report on the implementation of the Action Plans on visa liberalisation by Ukraine and Moldova. The first evaluating Progress Report was presented to Ukraine in September, 2011. It included the assessment of changes, occurred in Ukraine in the frame of the EU-Ukraine visa dialogue until July 8, 2011.

In particular, the Commission draws Ukraine’s attention to the lack of progress in implementing VLAP objectives for liberalization of visa regime. This is stated in the letter of Deputy Minister for foreign affairs Pavlo Klimkin addressed to First Vice-Prime Minister Andriy Klyuyev.

The EU-Ukraine negotiations on the amendment of the Visa Facilitation Agreement has been finalized. So what awaits for Ukrainian visa applicants next year?

Europe without barriers presents the key finding conclusions of the Project on “Migration potential of Ukraine in the context of acquiring a visa-free regime with the EU, Will lifting visa regime affect the number of potential migrants from Ukraine to the EU?" In summer 2011, the Donetsk Institute of Social Research and Political Analysis in partnership with eight think tanks of the civic initiative "Europe without Barriers" carried out a large-scale research of Ukraine’s migratory profile in the context of acquiring a visa-free regime with the EU.The research was conducted with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

The Civil Society Forum “EU-Ukraine Summit 2011: Civil Society Dimension” took place in Kyiv on December 19.Over one hundred representatives from civil society, business associations and think tanks participated in the meeting. The Forum also hosted High officials from the EU, represented by the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.

This week, December 6-8, "Europe without barriers" has paid public and unofficial visits to the Europe’s political capital, Brussels. The public events were held in the European Parliament building and European Policy Centre (EPC) at support of the International Foundation «European Development». Ukrainian experts has presented research findings of the independent monitoring of the EU Member States’ visa practices in Ukraine, on the Consulates’ and Embassies’ adherence to the EU relevant legislation, as well as on Ukraine’s performance in implementation of the Action Plan on visa liberalization.

On Friday, November 25th, 2011, Civic initiative “Europe without Barriers” has conducted press-briefing on: ”The first year of the Action plan on visa liberalization between the EU and Ukraine: what has been done, what lies ahead?”. The event was held as a part of the multilateral project "Paving the road towards visa-free travel between the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU”, initiated by the PASOS (Policy Association for an Open Society, Prague). Civic monitoring of the implementation of the Action plan on visa liberalisation of EU to Ukraine is carrying out at support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

The European Parliament on Thursday supported a joint resolution on Ukraine by a simple majority. The vote took place during a plenary session in Strasbourg without any debate beforehand.

This publication is an outcome of annual comprehensive civic monitoring of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation (VLAP), issued to Ukraine by the EU. The study includes an independent expertise of reforms in the areas of document security, migration and readmission, public order and security, external relations and fundamental rights.

The publication provides the policy analysis in the spheres of migration and documents security as basic requirements for visa liberalisation with the European Union.

This publication discloses the peculiarities of the visa liberalisation process in the Western Balkan states, which are actual ones for Ukraine. The experience of the Road Maps implementation (2008–2010) by Serbia, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina is analyzed.Main attention is concentrated on the issues of documents’ security, migration and border management, public order and fundamental rights. Lessons should be learned by Ukraine and other EaP countries are described.

With this publication Europe without Barriers (EWB) summarizes comprehensive data of the large scale field research conducted in the summer 2010 with the support of International Renaissance Foundation.

This publication is about the strategy and tactical priorities on the path toward visa-free regime for the countries of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) with the European Union. Assessments and recommendations developed by the expert group disclose available mechanisms and opportunities for further visa liberalisation. The research is aimed for strengthening and further professionalisation of international public impact and lobbying of the freedom of movement in Europe. Famous European think tanks and NGOs such as European Policy Centre (Brussels) and European Stability Initiative (Berlin-Brussels-Istanbul) contributed to this project.

This publication is another contribution of Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine into its monitoring of visa policy and practice conducted by EU Member States. Previous publications, in particular “Ukrainian View on Visa Policy of the European Union Member States” (2006) and “Ukraine-EU: on the Way to Visa Free Regime” (2007) caused signifcant resonance and were the subject for broad discussions inside expert and public circles.

The publication is aimed to summarize Ukraine’s homework needed to be done to achieve visa free regime with the EU. The experience of international campaigns against visa barriers in Europe has been analyzed. Recommendations are provided for the better use of existing mechanisms and opportunities, in particular, the Agreement on the Facilitation of the Issuance of Visas between EU and Ukraine.

The publication is about the outcomes of independent monitoring of the visa issuance to the citizens of Ukraine by the EU Member States’ consulates. The monitoring was conducted by the all-Ukrainian consortium of the NGOs and think-tanks under coordination of CPCFPU in 2008.

The surveys of this Report were carried out towards the end of 2005 in the Consulates of some EU Member States – in Kyiv, Chisinau, Minsk and Moscow. We surveyed the visa systems of Belgium, Finland, France, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. The project included interviews with 961 persons who had lodged visa applications, with 85% of the positive response ratio.

This Report presents an analysis of the changes that have occurred during the last few years in the visa procedures followed by a selected group of surveyed EU Member State consulates. The report and the analysis of changes in the visa procedures followed are based on the results of two surveys. The first was carried out in 2005, and the second, during the second half of 2008.