Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the implementation of the Joint declaration on Customs issues of the Ukrainian and Moldovan Prime Ministers.

March 15, 2006.

    The EU fully supports the implementation of the Joint Declaration on Customs Issues of the Ukrainian and Moldovan Prime Ministers of 30 December 2005. The EU attaches great importance to transparent and secure borders. Border issues are a main target of the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans with both Ukraine and Moldova.
    The implementation of the Joint Declaration reinstalls a transparent and legitimate customs regime on the Moldovan-Ukrainian state border.
    We strongly condemn current efforts by the self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities to create an artificial crisis atmosphere.
    We call on the economic agents of the Transnistrian region of Moldova to register with the relevant authorities in Chisinau in order to promote the unimpeded flow of goods across the border and welcome the measures taken by the Moldovan authorities in this regard. We welcome in particular the commitment of the Moldovan side to avoid double taxation and to provide registered Transnistrian economic agents with certificates of origin when controls on the origin of goods can be carried out.
    We call on the self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities not to block this registration. We condemn any efforts by the self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities to impede the free flow of international trade, which harms the interests of Transnistrian economic agents, which are thus deprived of their export possibilities. The EU expresses her hope that in the future the conditions will be put in place for Moldova to grant all registered Transnistrian companies access to the trade preferences for the EU that other Moldovan companies now enjoy.
    We reiterate that the EU stands ready, notably through the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), to further develop an efficient and transparent border regime. In this regard, EUBAM is consulting with its Ukrainian and Moldovan partners on a regular basis.
    The EU stays firmly committed to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. The EU reiterates her will to contribute to a peaceful solution of the Transnistrian conflict.
    The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this declaration.
    * Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.