Moldovan foreign affairs ministry makes specifications concerning media information on European Commission's Report on Visa Suspension Mechanism

Chisinau, 10 January /MOLDPRES/ – The first annual report of the European Commission on the Visa Suspension Mechanism was published on 20 December 2017.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MAEIE) on the same day presented Moldova's reply to the report, welcoming the observation that Moldova still meets criteria underlying the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU and reiterating willingness of the national authorities to continue cooperation with the European Commission to implement the recommendations.

Presenting the report, Dimitris Avramopoulous, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, highlighted the European Commission's commitment to guarantee visa – free regimes for the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries, but also the responsibilities of both citizens and relevant authorities of the countries concerned on it. The high official acknowledged the efforts of the Western Balkan countries and the Eastern Partnership to ensure the sustainability of the progress made and for the reforms to continue to deliver concrete results but also noted that the EU expecting to consolidate the efforts of the given countries especially in the field of illicit migration, combating organized crime and corruption.

Moreover, in his interview for Radio Free Europe on the same day, when questioned about the case of Moldova and Ukraine, Commissioner Avramopoulous replied that the European Commission has had no intention of suspending the visa – free regime for the countries concerned and that the main role the maintenance of the regime belonging to Ukrainian and Moldovan citizens.

It is worth pointing out that the vast majority of the recommendations already made can be found in the Moldova – EU Association Agenda for 2017 – 2019, which was approved on 04 August 2017, before the report’s publication. The recent developments on implementation of those recommendations are the extension of the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency's mandate to several organized crime offenses on 07 December 2017, adoption on 22 December 2017 of the new Law on the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering and financing of terrorism harmonized to the 4th EU Directive in the field, as well as the appointment in December 2017 of the chairman and deputy chairman of the National Integrity Authority.

Also, referring to the statistics on the number of cases of refusal to enter and stay illegally in the EU of Moldovan citizens, it is important to note that the significant increase in the number in 2016 compared to 2015 is directly proportional to the increase in the total number of travel of Moldovan citizens in the Schengen area during the same period. Similarly, situation remained stable, limiting to about 0.3 per cent of cases of refusal of entry and 0.5 per cent of illegal stay of the total number of travels in the Schengen area. We mention that in 2017, according to the European Commission’s report, both the number of illegal residence cases and the number of asylum applications decreased.

The MAEIE appreciates the interest of the media about it, with several publications taking place as soon as the report arrives and at the beginning of January 2018, and expresses its openness to provide necessary clarifications.

The MAEIE’s Public Service of diplomacy, strategic communication and interaction with press.