The European Commission has
officially confirmed that it will present in early 2016 a legislative proposal
to the Council and the European Parliament to lift visa requirements for
Ukrainian citizens holding a biometric passport – amending Regulation (EC)
No 539/2001, according to an EC Progress Report on Ukraine issued on Friday,
December 18.
The
progress report highlights the significant headway made
by Ukraine to meet the criteria for visa liberalisation.
Commissioner for
Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos welcomed
the enormous progress made by Ukraine.
"I am very pleased that Ukrainian citizens
with a biometric passport will soon be able to travel to the Schengen area for
short stays without a visa. I congratulate the Ukrainian leadership on the
progress made towards completing the reform process which will bring important
benefits to the citizens of Ukraine in the future," he said.
"The hard work towards achieving this
significant goal has paid off. Now it is important to keep upholding all the
standards," he added.
At the same time, he said, progress in
conducting reforms and the adoption of important laws, the fight against
corruption remain important issues.
The Commission on December 18 adopted the sixth
and last progress report on the
implementation by Ukraine of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
The visa-free travel will apply to all EU Member
States, except for Ireland and UK, as well as the four Schengen associated
countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). The exemption from
visa requirement concerns only short-stays, up to 90 days in any 180-day period
for business, touristic or family purposes.
The EU-Ukraine Visa Dialogue has been an
important and effective tool for advancing far-reaching and difficult reforms
in the Justice and Home Affairs area and beyond, impacting on areas such as the
rule of law and justice reform. The progress achieved by Ukraine in all areas
covered by the four blocks of the VLAP has been steady and effective. It
demonstrates the commitment and constant efforts of the Ukrainian Government
and all state institutions that have made the fulfilment of the VLAP benchmarks
a top national priority.
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