The European Commission has approved the launch of the second phase of the EU visa liberalization action plan for Ukraine.
“It [the European Commission] concludes that Ukraine has put in place the necessary legislative, policy and institutional framework and meets the first-phase requirements of the visa dialogue. The second phase, where the Commission will be checking the implementation of all these rules, can therefore be launched,” the Commission said in a statement posted on its Web site on Tuesday evening.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stressed that this decision is first and foremost “a recognition of the important legislative reforms adopted in the recent months.”
“While important work still lies ahead, this is a very concrete sign to the Ukrainian authorities and citizens that with perseverance the benefits of a closer association with the EU are real and tangible to all,” the European Commission’s president stressed.
For her part, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom said that Ukraine can now move to the second phase of the implementation of the visa liberalization action plan.
