Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. Fourth report on the implementation by the Republic of Moldova of the action plan on visa liberalisation

The EU-Republic of Moldova Visa Dialogue examining the conditions for visa-free travel for citizens of the Republic of Moldova to the EU was launched on 15 June 2010. The Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation (VLAP) was presented to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova by the Commission on 24 January 2011. The VLAP sets a series of precise benchmarks for the Republic of Moldova on four so-called 'blocks' of technically relevant issues, with the view of both the adoption of a legislative and policy framework (phase 1) and its effective implementation (phase 2).

The Commission has regularly reported to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of the VLAP. Building on these reports, the Council adopted Conclusions on 19 November 2012 in which it agreed with the Commission that the Republic of Moldova has fulfilled all the benchmarks under the first phase of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation. Subsequently, the assessment of the benchmarks set out under the second phase was launched.

The next steps of the second phase as well as the preparation of the evaluation missions were discussed during a Senior Officials Meeting which took place on 28 January 2013. A new series of evaluation missions on all four Blocks of the VLAP was organised from 18 February to 15 March 2013. The evaluation missions were unparalleled in terms of scope and details of the assessment – four weeks involving 12 experts from EU Member States accompanied by officials of the Commission and of the EEAS.

The missions of the experts had the purpose to assess both the fulfilment status of the second phase benchmarks of the VLAP and the extent of implementation of the legislative, policy and institutional framework, in compliance with European and international standards. Particular attention was paid to areas such as anti-discrimination and integration of minorities and trafficking in human beings, as mentioned in the Council Conclusions of 19 November 2012. The expert reports were finalised in May 2013. The Republic of Moldova has committed to address the recommendations contained in these reports through the updated National Action Plan drafted at the end of May 2013.

The Visa liberalisation Action Plan has proven to be an important incentive for reforms and has helped the Republic of Moldova to maintain a sustained pace of structural reforms since 2010. The legislative and policy framework have been put in place as recognised by the conclusion of the first phase of the VLAP in November 2012.

The aim of this report is to present the state of the implementation of the legislative and institutional framework, the functioning of the institutions and the level of inter-agency coordination. The Commission has prepared this progress report on the basis of the comprehensive evaluation missions of February-March 2013, including the reports drafted in that context by Member States experts, as well as additional information received during the EU-Republic of Moldova Joint Sub-Committee No3 and the EU-Republic of Moldova Human Rights Dialogue both held in April 2013. Special attention was paid to the sustainability of the reforms and the results achieved, including through meaningful staffing and funding. The report also includes an assessment on the state of the fulfilment of the recommendations addressed to the Republic of Moldova contained in the Impact Assessment report of August 2012.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)459: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:459:FIN

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