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There is an obvious need for launching the systematic public campaign for visa free regime between Ukraine and the EU. Such campaign should be aimed at supporting the «visa dialogue» and reacting on its existing or potential challenges, correcting the agenda, content and the tone of the dialogue in the right way.

Europe Without Barriers

The campaign should be focused on a clear target and it can potentially strengthen the arguments of promoters of visa free regime within Europe to a great extent; it can draw nearer waiving of visa requirements for the citizens of Ukraine on behalf of EU.

Respectively, we believe that the following recommenda­tions should be taken into account:

>    The campaign for visa free regime for the citizens of Ukraine should be based on the idea of clear European identity of Ukrainian citizens. Accordingly, visa regime should be described as unjustified archaism which con­tradicts with the needs and values of all-European proj­ect, and the freedom of movement of persons is one of the components of such project.

>    The campaign should be carried out as a part of interna­tional efforts promoting visa free movement within Europe. Such campaign should spread further than the needs of Ukrainian society and it should be based on the support of influential public, expert and political circles in EU Member States.

>    The campaign should take into account the experience of the countries which acquired visa free regime by having

implemented relevant conditions (Romania, Bulgaria) as well as those which undergo the format of «visa dialogue» together with Ukraine (Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russian Federation)

>   The campaign should combine internal (Ukraine) and external (EU) components in order to provide synchron- ic impact on decision making institutions in Ukraine and EU Member States.

>   The campaign should go in parallel with the state (diplo­matic) efforts, taking into account the content, algo­rithms and the stages of such efforts. At the same time it should not be seen as the campaign directed by the state and/or political parties.

> The campaign should not seem as a populist and/or dil­ettante movement and it should avoid the attempts of blackmailing in terms of non-fulfillment of current inter­national obligations of Ukraine and re-launching of visa regime for the citizens of EU.

>   The campaign should be accompanied with the active public support for state actions aimed at meeting the cri­teria of visa free country on behalf of Ukraine in its rela­tions with EU. Taking into account the country specifics and notwithstanding the indefiniteness of certain criteria, the main criteria for Ukraine will include:

•      Fulfillment of the obligations taken by Ukraine in terms of the Agreement on Readmission with EU

•      Improvement of the system and practice of border protection along the perimeter

•      Effective fighting illegal migration, smuggling and human trafficking

•      Enhancing documents security, primarily of inter­national passports for Ukrainian citizens

•      Improvement of migration policy, introduction of single migration institution, making changes into migration legislature and establishing responsibili­ty for breaking EU laws on migration

 •      Carrying out the repatriation of Ukrainian citizens who broke EU laws on migration and who became the subject for deportation

>   The campaign should include technological components inherent in modern long term advocacy campaigns; it should be, in particular, represented in mass media, including foreign media and Internet network; it also should support public, analytical and lobbying compo­nents, involve the leaders of public opinion from both sides of «Schengen border».

>   The campaign should be structured in accordance with the interests and possibilities of the most interested and active audience (business, students, intellectuals, jour­nalists, etc)