Written by Piotr Ka?mierkiewicz of the Institute of Public Affairs in Poland, Time to De-link Visas and Migration takes a critical look at the factors that have slowed down efforts at visa liberalization and calls on civil society, national governments and the EU to reconsider the roles they have played in the process.

The Coordination Council on migration held joint meeting of experts dealing with migration issues. The Council has been established in June, 2012 by leading Ukrainian experts on migration with and aim to consolidate expert’s cooperation regarding research on migration movements of Ukrainians abroad; provide expert analysis and recommendations to the main decision making institutions of the EU and Ukraine, boost implementation of wide-ranging reforms needed to be implemented in the frame of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement agenda.

The European Stability Initiative published a paper on the issue of Western Balkan asylum claims. The analysis propeses solutions on how to cope with a sharp rise in unfounded asylum claims in the region, which may caused the re-introduction of visa requirements for the Western Balkan' countries.

To facilitate the sharing of knowledge, experience and good practice on visa liberalisation issues the delegation of experts and officials from the Eastern Partnership, Western Balkan states and Poland gathered for the meeting in Georgia on November 23-24.

Visa-free Europe Coalition launched the Eastern Partnership Visa Liberalisation Index as a tool that shows the results of independent assessment of progress achieved by the Eastern Partnership countries towards visa liberalisation with the EU. This Index is a common work of experts of each of the EaP countries, incuding experts from Europe without Barriers.

Is the EU edging closer to making a fundamental and strategic mistake by restoring the visa requirement for citizens of the Western Balkans?At this moment the interior ministers of six EU countries - Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden - are pushing for a reversal of the most significant decision made in the past decade to further the European integration of the Western Balkans. The issue is also on the agenda of the justice and home affairs council on 25/26 October this week.

On October 3, 2012 in the Igor Haidai’s Studio, Europe without Barriers hold the exhibition - presentation of art and advocacy project “Visa?” What’s the Reason?”. In such a creative manner Europe without Barriers presented inside and outside look of the problem of the freedom of movement in the Eastern part of Europe. The presentation has been accompanied by a public discussion about the borders, visas and freedom of movement. During the discussion the experts, media, civic activists tried to find out a way to overcome these artificially created barriers between people.

Europe without Barriers publishes the main monitoring findings on the visa policy of the EU and Schengen Member States in 2012. The publication contains analysis of the implementation practice of the main provisions of the EU-Ukraine Visa Facilitation Agreement and the EU Visa Code. Four types of visa practice - friendly», «neutral» and «problematic» consular practices are also comprised into analysis.

On September 24, Civic Initiative “Europe without Barriers” held an expert roundtable discussion: “The EU visa practice in 2012: are there any changes?”. During the roundtable the research findings on visa practices of the EU and Schengen States (the 6th waves) in Ukraine were presented. The event was attended by the experts from the EU and Eastern Partnership countries. The monitoing has been supported by the European Programme and “East-East” Programme of the International Renaissance Foundation.

The signatory organizations, representing more than one million companies in the EU. It is supported by the leading business associations of Denmark, Finland, Poland and Italy. Later on business associations from the Czech Republic, Spain and Turkey joined the initiative.The “common position” states that business visa requirements are a substantial impediment to international business; hence, their liberalization is a precondition for growth and job creation.

Europe without Barriers publishes Open letter of Visa-Free Coalition to the EC calls on the EC to propose progression of the Republic of Moldova to the second phase of the implementation of the Action Plan n Visa Liberalisation (VLAP). The letter contains appeal of more than 40 organizations from all the Europe, including Ukraine (Europe without Barriers). Also we include the official respond of the Commissioner for Home Affairs, European Commission Cecilia Malmstrom.

On Tuesday, August 7, 2012 the “Association for youth rights protection” presented analytical report: “Monitoring of visa policy of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk”. The six wave of monitoring on issuing visas by Polish Consulate in Lutsk has been conducted in June and July, current year. The project aimed to continue observation of the main visa issuance practices of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk.

On Thursday, 19 of July, Civic Initiative Europe without Barriers in cooperation with Barcelona Center for International Affairs (CIDOB) presented outcomes of the research: «Ukraine-Spain migration nexus: benefits and risks in the context of visa liberalisation between the EU and Ukraine» carried out in 2011 – 2012 at support of the European Programme of International Renaissance Foundation.

One of the important events which took place last week was the EC’s statement of Moldova’s successful compleation of all benchmarks of the first phase of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation (VLAP), aimed at abolition by the EU of short-term stay visas for that country.

On July 2, 2012 in the building of Stefan Batory Foundation in Warsaw (Poland), with the support of latter a working meeting of the members of the organizations involved in the Visa-Free Europe Coalition (more than 30 organizations, including Ukraine) took place. The event was attended by His Excellency, Ambassador of The Republic of Moldova in Warsaw, also representatives from Center for European Politics, European Stability Initiative (Belgium) also other civil society leaders from Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovak Republic, Romania, Poland and Russia participated in the discussion.

This Commission Report is the third and final progress report on first phase of the VLAP. It presents a consolidated assessment by the Commission of the progress made by the Republic of Moldova in meeting the first phase benchmarks of the VLAP related to the establishment of the legislative, policy and institutional framework.

Europe without Barriers is pleased to publish a paper on possible visa lifting between the EU and Eastern Europe, prepared by Marta Jaroszewicz, expert from Polish Centre for Eastern Studies(Poland).

Europe without Barriers releases recommendations regarding Visa Policy of the EU countries in Ukraine, EU-Ukraine Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation and Schengen visas-issuing practice. The recommendations have been developed by Civic Expert Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and with active involvement of Europe without Barriers’ experts.

On April 26, 2012 the Public discussion on “Why Europe needs an open Ukraine?” took place in Barcelona. The roundtable was organized by Barcelona Center of International Affairs (Spain),and co-organized by Europe without barriers (Ukraine, Kyiv) and the Economic Forum (ISW, Poland).

“Europe without Barriers” presents an analysis developing the conclusions on “Consequences of Schengen Visa Liberalisation for the Citizens of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova”. The research has been prepared by the Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute, Florence, with the participation of Ukrainian experts. As it is known the EU decision to initiate the assessment of the second set of benchmarks of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation between Ukraine and the EU will be built upon the correlation between the conclusions of the EC updated Second Report and of the "assessment of possible migratory and security impact”.

The issue contains findings of independent monitoring on the EU Visa Policy in Ukraine in the year 2012. The publication offers and independent assessment evaluation of the implementation of two legislative acts: the EU-Ukraine Visa-Facilitation Agreement (VFA), the EU Visa Code. Positive and negative tendencies of the EU Visa Policy’s specific components are also reflected in the analysis.

This publication is an outcome of annual comprehensive civic monitoring of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation (VLAP), issued to Ukraine by the EU. The study includes an independent expertise of reforms in the areas of document security, migration and readmission, public order and security, external relations and fundamental rights.

The publication provides the policy analysis in the spheres of migration and documents security as basic requirements for visa liberalisation with the European Union.

This publication discloses the peculiarities of the visa liberalisation process in the Western Balkan states, which are actual ones for Ukraine. The experience of the Road Maps implementation (2008–2010) by Serbia, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina is analyzed.Main attention is concentrated on the issues of documents’ security, migration and border management, public order and fundamental rights. Lessons should be learned by Ukraine and other EaP countries are described.

With this publication Europe without Barriers (EWB) summarizes comprehensive data of the large scale field research conducted in the summer 2010 with the support of International Renaissance Foundation.

This publication is about the strategy and tactical priorities on the path toward visa-free regime for the countries of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) with the European Union. Assessments and recommendations developed by the expert group disclose available mechanisms and opportunities for further visa liberalisation. The research is aimed for strengthening and further professionalisation of international public impact and lobbying of the freedom of movement in Europe. Famous European think tanks and NGOs such as European Policy Centre (Brussels) and European Stability Initiative (Berlin-Brussels-Istanbul) contributed to this project.

This publication is another contribution of Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine into its monitoring of visa policy and practice conducted by EU Member States. Previous publications, in particular “Ukrainian View on Visa Policy of the European Union Member States” (2006) and “Ukraine-EU: on the Way to Visa Free Regime” (2007) caused signifcant resonance and were the subject for broad discussions inside expert and public circles.

The publication is aimed to summarize Ukraine’s homework needed to be done to achieve visa free regime with the EU. The experience of international campaigns against visa barriers in Europe has been analyzed. Recommendations are provided for the better use of existing mechanisms and opportunities, in particular, the Agreement on the Facilitation of the Issuance of Visas between EU and Ukraine.

The publication is about the outcomes of independent monitoring of the visa issuance to the citizens of Ukraine by the EU Member States’ consulates. The monitoring was conducted by the all-Ukrainian consortium of the NGOs and think-tanks under coordination of CPCFPU in 2008.

The surveys of this Report were carried out towards the end of 2005 in the Consulates of some EU Member States – in Kyiv, Chisinau, Minsk and Moscow. We surveyed the visa systems of Belgium, Finland, France, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. The project included interviews with 961 persons who had lodged visa applications, with 85% of the positive response ratio.

This Report presents an analysis of the changes that have occurred during the last few years in the visa procedures followed by a selected group of surveyed EU Member State consulates. The report and the analysis of changes in the visa procedures followed are based on the results of two surveys. The first was carried out in 2005, and the second, during the second half of 2008.