Results of the implementation of the integrated border management policy were summarized at the meeting chaired by Olha Stefanishyna

On Thursday, December 19, a meeting of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on the Coordination of Integrated Border Management was held under the chairmanship of Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine.

“The decisions taken at today's meeting are primarily aimed at strengthening the security of our state, and at the same time lay the foundation for a new stage of strategic development of integrated state border management. This development is aimed at achieving the conditions necessary for Ukraine to ensure the security of the external border of the European Union after joining the bloc,” said Olha Stefanishyna, Head of the Interagency Working Group, at the beginning of the meeting.

“The results of our work will become the basis for improving security at the state border of Ukraine, building trust of international partners and integration into the European security space,” said Volodymyr Nikiforenko, First Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

During the meeting, the Working Group considered the following issues:

Results of the assessment of the performance of the tasks of integrated management of the state border of Ukraine in 2024;

Progress in implementing the tasks of the Action Plan for 2023-2025 to implement the Integrated Border Management Strategy in the first half of 2024;

Drafting a new Strategy for Integrated State Border Management of Ukraine and an Action Plan for 2026-2028 for its implementation;

Presentation of the draft Strategy for the Development and Construction of Border Infrastructure with the EU Member States and the Republic of Moldova until 2030.

Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development Serhii Derkach presented the draft Strategy for the Development and Construction of Border Infrastructure with the EU Member States and the Republic of Moldova, the implementation of which will help create better conditions for the free and safe movement of people, goods and vehicles across the state border.

The meeting also featured Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Perebyinis, Head of the Department for Control over the Authorities' Performance Vladyslav Blindiuk and Head of the International Cooperation Unit of the FRONTEX European Border and Coast Guard Agency Guillaume de Roquigny-Iragne.

IWG Secretary, Director of the Department of Work Organization, Planning and Control of the State Border Guard Service Administration Andrii Viktiuk presented the results of the implementation of the 2023-2025 Action Plan for the implementation of the Integrated Border Management Strategy in the first half of 2024.

Thus, it was noted that, according to the current assessment, the Action Plan has been implemented by 59%. In total, positive values have been achieved for 110 indicators, 23 indicators have been fulfilled, and 19 measures have been implemented.

In particular, to comply with the Plan, amendments were made to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Ukraine to criminalize smuggling of goods

No. 3513-IX dated December 9, 2023, a number of necessary draft laws were registered and adopted, and an initial assessment of the progress in implementing EU law was conducted, etc.

In addition, as part of the Plan, in 2024 Ukraine took part in a joint operation with FRONTEX “GlobalChain” to combat human trafficking in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The participants approved the Work Plan of the Interagency Working Group on Integrated Border Management Coordination for 2025.

Immediately after the meeting of the Interagency Working Group, a constituent meeting was held to draft a new Strategy and an action plan for its implementation, with the participation of experts from the integrated border management entities, academics and representatives of European security organizations.