Border and customs authorities of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine met online on Wednesday, 24 June, to officially launch the project “EU 4 Border Security” and discuss the progress under the project and plan further actions.

With this project, the European Union supports the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in facilitating trade and movement of people across the common border, while preventing and combating smuggling and other border-related offences, crime and corruption, thus ultimately contributing to the security, stability and sustainable development of the region.

In particular, the project will help both countries to improve the conditions for free and safe movement of persons, goods and vehicles across the common border through establishing an automatic system for exchange of information on travellers and vehicles. By the end of 2021, the system, based on the automatic recognition of vehicle number plates, will be piloted at four busiest border crossing points (BCPs), clearing an average of almost 1,000 cargo units per day: Otaci – Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Tudora – Starokazachie, Criva – Mamaliga, and Vulcanesti – Vinogradovca.

The project will also assist the border agencies of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine with much-needed specialized equipment, such as the motorboats and floating docks, as well as other surveillance equipment for enhancing capacities to detect, pursue, and suppress offences at the common blue border. Currently, surveillance of about one third of the Moldova–Ukraine blue border is exclusively conducted from the land because of lack of trained staff, special equipment and transportation means.

Additionally, border and customs authorities of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will benefit from technical trainings and study visits to the EU Member States.

The “EU 4 Border Security” project is funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, Missions in Moldova and Ukraine, from January 2020 to December 2021, in cooperation with the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Ukraine and Moldova (EUBAM). The project, with a total budget of EUR 3.5 million, will support customs and border guard authorities of both states on the central level and alongside the common border.