From 28 to 29 October 2020, European Union experts jointly with the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) and the State Customs Service (SCS) of Ukraine completed the first field assessment mission to the border crossing point (BCP) Yahodyn–Dorohusk at the Ukrainian–Polish border.
The mission was organized within the framework of the EU-funded project "EU Support to Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine (EU4IBM)" implemented by ICMPD. This assessment is a step towards advancement of both border and customs processes and procedures at the BCP level and is a part of a wider project action focused on creation of an integrated border management system in Ukraine aligned with European standards.
During the field visit to the BCP, the assessment team consisting of EU4IBM international subject matter experts, SBGS and SCS national experts carried out an in-depth analysis of border and customs control procedures starting from the entry to the customs territory of Ukraine until the exit from the BCP. The assessment covered the formalities for processing of passengers and cargo in BCPs for both road and railway transport modes. The main idea behind the action is to identify the gaps and develop recommendations allowing to reduce time and resources for the processes at BCPs while ensuring fast and safe passage of goods and persons through the border. The assessment team also worked on the baseline study of the current situation at the border crossing points to develop proposals for model BCP solutions, as well as collected information on the current availability, status and needs in additional equipment at BCPs.
Similar field assessment missions are also planned for air and maritime BCPs and will be conducted by the project expert team in the coming weeks. These missions will result in comprehensive recommendations on optimisation of border and customs checks at BCPs, development of model BCP solutions and identification of needs in equipment and infrastructure to be presented to SBGS and SCS in the coming months.