The pilot project includes elements of technical re-equipment, as well as joint exercises and anti-corruption trainings, which will be implemented on the basis of the new infrastructure.

On 17 May 2021, the EU-funded EU Support to Ukraine (EU4IBM) project to support integrated border management in Ukraine launched a pilot initiative to prevent cross-border crime on the "green border" between Ukraine and Romania. The pilot project includes elements of technical re-equipment, as well as joint exercises and anti-corruption trainings, which will be implemented on the basis of the new infrastructure.

“We welcome the efforts of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine aimed at improving the state border management and combating cross-border crime and smuggling. Integrated border management is, in fact, key to strengthening security and facilitating trade between Ukraine and the EU. The European Union is ready to assist Ukraine in addressing the issues that arise in this regard in the most vulnerable parts of the border,” said Xavier Camus, Head of Good Governance and Democratization at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

As part of the launch of the pilot project, on May 17-18, a group of experts conducted an on-site assessment of a selected section of the EU-Ukraine land border to examine the existing border protection infrastructure and its vulnerability to smuggling and other cross-border crimes. As a next step, the group will prepare technical specifications of the necessary equipment for border protection and a roadmap for its deployment, together with a set of measures to build the capacity of the SBGS.

“The area we are working on is among the most vulnerable on the western border of Ukraine. Even during the experts' visit, a night patrol of border guards intercepted the smuggling of 27 boxes (13,790 packs) of cigarettes. Both Ukraine and the EU are suffering from cross-border crime, and therefore need to work together on an integrated approach that combines technical equipment and “soft” measures, as actually proposed in our project,” said Arunas Adomenas, Head of EU4IBM.

The pilot initiative, launched at the request of the SBGS, is based on a careful analysis of measures and existing practices to combat cross-border crime at the “green border” - wooded vulnerable areas of the border, as well as problem areas and topographic features identified in the area. As a result of this assessment, a wide range of recommendations was proposed, including streamlining work processes, using modern technical solutions for security, as well as measures to combat corruption and increase staff motivation. In the coming months, the SBGS and the EU4IBM project will jointly implement the relevant recommendations to test the proposed border protection solution.

Reference information:

The EU-funded EU Support to Integrated Border Management in Ukraine (EU4IBM) project, implemented by the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), aims to support reforms that bring Ukraine's border management system in line with European standards and best practices of the European Union within the Strategy of Integrated Border Management of Ukraine, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on July 24, 2019. The project lasts from December 2019 to June 2022.