The borders between Ukraine and the European Union (EU) have always been busy. In 2019, before the pandemic disrupted international travel, they were crossed by more than 32 million people.
Three years later, the EU-Ukraine land borders became the only safe options for Ukrainians and other citizens to flee the atrocities of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with Poland alone having accepted 2.5 million people to date via ground checkpoints.
They also emerged as critical entry points for delivering humanitarian and military aid from the West. Dozens of hubs have been created in bordering Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary to quickly process all kinds of crucial supplies, in turn emphasizing the importance of strong border management.
With the war augmenting the function of the Ukraine-EU physical border, it is vital that Ukraine focuses on finalizing the long overdue border reforms set out in its 2019 Integrated Border Management (IBM) Strategy.
For years, different actors emphasized the need to improve its infrastructure, bolster security and coordination, combat smuggling and reduce corruption. But while Ukrainian authorities made many promises, they only delivered on a handful.
Some of the struggles are explained by internal problems indicative of the Ukrainian governmental system, such as sub-par interagency coordination, vague legal definitions and populism.
Others, like the introduction of joint control at the Ukrainian border with Hungary and Slovakia, and the renewal of an existing agreement with Poland, are more nuanced. Although it is a both cheaper and faster option compared to building new checkpoints, the incompatibility of Ukraine’s legislation with some parts of the Schengen Borders Code, has precluded the parties from finding a compromise.
Because of these hurdles, the Ukraine-EU border still suffers from imperfect security levels, congestion and long queues, especially for those seeking to cross in cars or other vehicles. Businesses have been reporting major losses due to a long waiting time at the border, which also lacks basic facilities.
Over the past few years Ukraine has stepped up the implementation of IBM-related reforms with EU countries agreeing to let in refugees. But he war has highlighted the need for this to be expedited more quickly and effectively.
With Kyiv making no secret of its wish to fast track its EU membership bid, the need to carry out a comprehensive border reform becomes paramount.
The official questionnaire from the EU contains many questions pertaining to border management and security, even though EU membership does not automatically grant Schengen zone membership. Romania and Bulgaria, EU member states since 2007, are yet to accomplish this as they fulfill the criteria relating to judicial reforms and anti-corruption measures.
The 2016 EU questionnaire sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina features at least twenty border-related inquiries, such as: “What is the exact number of counterfeited goods (please specify subcategories) and copyright-related material which the customs and police forced have registered/seized during the last three years (presented per year)?”
To increase the chances of Ukraine’s accession to the EU, it is pivotal that Kyiv focuses on finalizing border reform and striking a balance between security and convenience, with a bigger emphasis on cooperation with bordering countries.
This is especially important since the western physical border will likely remain the only traveling and import-export option in the coming months as Russia ramps up its military activity in eastern and southern Ukraine, keeping the country’s air and marine space closed for an indefinite period.
Ukraine’s western borders are no longer overcrowded and are critical for the EU’s security as Russia expresses a continuing desire to attack its “unfriendly” member states. Ukrainian authorities and border communities should heed the implementation of the “E-queues for Border Crossing” pilot project approved in December 2021, an important step in the IBM Strategy’s implementation, before moving on to other aspects.
The war has already prompted Ukraine to step up efforts in coordinating its actions with western neighbors to ensure that the country seamlessly receives aid and food supplies in times of war, allowing freight carriers and railroad operators to take advantage of cross-border cooperation.
It must not stop there.
