Discussion and photo exhibition’ opening
The Heinrich Böll Foundation
Civic Initiative “Europe without Barriers”
The introduction of the Schengen rules, which involves eliminating internal border controls among Schengen Agreement participating countries have been considered as a significant progress made for establishment of a modern and transparent migration control system. However over the past years the Schengen system has been sharply criticized not only outside of the EU, but also inside of Schengen area. Despite the EC’s visa facilitation agreements which simplify visa procedure for certain types of visitors, thousands of citizens from Eastern European countries still see Visa Schengen regime as an insuperable barrier to set up economic, inter-state and family contacts. Therefore since Central European countries joined the Schengen agreement; the opportunities for Ukraine and Belarus to support contacts between people have been considerably decreased.
The EU is currently in negotiations on visa simplifying and introduction of visa-free regime for certain EaP countries. However, it worth mentioning that there is no automatism foreseen for further simplification in freedom of movement. Considering the process of growing authoritarianism of power, predominant in Kyiv now, the agreement on visa free-regime in case if it will be signed could fall as a hostage of the EU-Ukraine negative relationship dynamics.
Thus the question arises wehather visa-free regime will be real perspective also for the other EU neighboring countries with authoritarian leadership? Do the EU active visa provisions set up an additional security measures? Is it possible to ensure effective border control over migration without using visa tool? To what extent visa mechanism is efficient and necessary instrument for the EU to protect its labor market from Eastern Europe migrants? Visa-free regime for Ukraine – economic opportunities and threats?
The discussion will be accompanied with an art photo exhibition: “Visas? What’s the reason?” opening from February 18 until 8 of March.
The presentation of an art photo project "Visas? What’s the Reason", also other materials of Europe without Barriers to be presented in the EU counties are displayed within the frame of project: “Preparing and launching the campaign for visa-free Europe”, supported by the European Program of the International Renaissance Foundation.
Key Speakers:
Iryna Sushko, civic Initiative “Europe without Barriers, Kyiv, Ukraine
Oleksiy Khmara, TORO Creative Union, the contact group of Transparency International in Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Rainer Lindner, Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Berlin, Germany
Josef Winkler, German Green Party "Bündnis 90/Die Grünen", Berlin, Germany
Moderator:
Peter Wittschorek, International Network for Cultural Exchange and Active Citizenship with Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (MitOst).
Oleksandr Sushko, Institute for Euro-Atlantic cooperation, Kyiv, Ukraine
Working language:
Ukrainian and German with simultaneous interpretation
Address:
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V.
Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin
Time:
