REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL THIRD REPORT UNDER THE VISA SUSPENSION MECHANISM
Date: 2020-07-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU visa policy, Schengen Agreement, corruption, external border of the EU, foreign national, illegal migration, money laundering, organised crime, return migration, third country

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 10.7.2020  COM(2020) 325 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL THIRD REPORT UNDER THE VISA SUSPENSION MECHANISM {SWD(2020) 132 final}  
 
 
I. 

Introduction 

Visa  liberalisation  continues  to  trigger  key  reforms  in  the  area  of  migration,  security  and 
justice and facilitates people-to-people contacts by exempting third country nationals from the 
visa requirement for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The visa-free regime also 
entails  responsibilities.  Third  countries  have  to  continuously  fulfil  the  visa  liberalisation 
requirements and ensure conditions exist for well-managed migration and security at all times. 
This  is  in  line  with  the  European  Commission’s  holistic  approach  addressing  all  aspects  of 
migration and security. 

This Third  Report under the Visa  Suspension Mechanism  stems  from  the Commission’s 
duty to monitor the continuous fulfilment of visa liberalisation requirements by third countries 
that  have  obtained  visa-free  access  and  to  report,  at  least  once  a  year,  to  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council1.  In  terms  of  geographical  scope,  the  report  continues  to  cover 
those countries that have successfully concluded a visa liberalisation dialogue. Statistical data 
in the report reflects 2019 Eurostat data with a focus on variation between 2018-2019. Where 
possible, the policy developments in analysed countries are described until up to publication 
of this report in July 2020. As in  the  case of the Second Report under the Visa Suspension 
Mechanism2 of 17 December 2018 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Second Report’), this report 
focuses on specific areas3 where further action is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the 
progress achieved. This includes irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission, public 
order  and  security  (including  organised  crime,  anti-corruption,  law  enforcement  and  anti-
money  laundering).  Therefore,  benchmarks  with  a  stable  implementation  record  are  not 
covered in this report. 

After  the  introduction  of  COVID-19-related  restrictions  by  most  EU  Member  States  and 
partner  countries  in  mid-March,  movement  throughout  the  Western  Balkan  and  Eastern 
Partnership  region  decreased  considerably.  Most  of  the  restrictive  measures  in  the  partner 
countries  have  subsequently  been  lifted.  On  11  June  2020  the  Commission  adopted  a 
Communication assessing the application of the temporary restriction of non-essential travel 
to the EU.4 With regards to the countries neighbouring the EU, the Commission expressed a 
readiness to associate the region of the Western Balkans5 closely with the implementation of 
its Joint European Roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures.As a follow up 
the  Council  adopted  on  30  June  2020  a  recommendation  on  the  progressive  lifting  of  the 
travel  restriction  on  non-essential  inbound  travel,  including  the  first  list  of  15  countries 
(including Georgia, Montenegro and Serbia). The Recommendation is a first step towards the 
lifting of the restriction and it follows the gradual approach proposed by the Commission. 

1 

2 
3 

In  accordance  with  Article  8(4)  of  Regulation  (EU)  2018/1806  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  14  November  2018  listing  the  third  countries  whose  nationals  must  be  in  possession  of  visas 
when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, OJ L 303, 
28.11.2018, p. 39. 
COM (2018) 496 final. 
The  Commission  continues  to  monitor  the  broader  situation  in  the  area  of  home  affairs  and  justice,  also 
relevant  for the implementation of visa liberalisation commitments and benchmarks, in the framework of 
the  EU  Enlargement  package  for  the  visa-free  Western  Balkans  countries  and  in  the  framework  of  the 
implementation of the respective Association Agreements for the Eastern Partnership countries. 

4        COM(2020) 399 final 
5       Commission Communication on the support to the Western Balkans in tackling COVID-19 and the post 

pandemic recovery (COM (2020) 315 final). 

1 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
The  present  report  is  accompanied  by  a  Commission  Staff  Working  Document,  which 
provides more detailed background information on the developments.  

II.  

Assessment of specific areas in line with visa liberalisation benchmarks 

II.1   Western Balkans 

Albania 

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between  2018  and  2019,  the  number  of  refusals  of  entry  for  Albanian  nationals  in  the 
Schengen+  area  decreased  by  9%  (from  21,515  to  19,670),  while  the  number  of  Albanian 
nationals  found  to  be  illegally  staying  increased  by  6%  (from  32,355  to  34,410).  Irregular 
migration  of  Albanian  nationals  continues  to  be  the  highest  of  all  the  Western  Balkan 
countries  analysed  in  this  report.  The  detection  of  Albanian  nationals  using  fraudulent 
documents, including EU passports, increased by 64% between 2018 and 2019. 

The  number  of  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Albanian  nationals  in  the  Schengen+  area 
continued to  decrease for the fourth  year in  a row, with  18,555 applications lodged in  2019 
compared to  19,615  applications lodged in  2018. This  represents  a decrease of 5%. Despite 
the decreasing trend, Albania was at the top of visa-free countries in the Western Balkans in 
2019 in terms of the number of asylum applications. The asylum recognition rate6 decreased 
to  5.6%  in  2019  (compared  to  7.6%  in  2018).  In  the  first  quarter  of  2020,  2,895  asylum 
applications were reported, 44% less than in the same period of 2019. 

As  regards  cooperation  on  readmission  there  has  been  a  decrease  in  return  rate.  The  return 
rate in 2019 decreased to 50% (compared to 66%7 in 2018), with 15,370 Albanian nationals 
effectively returned. However, since EU Member States report good cooperation of own and 
third  country  nationals,  this  decrease  may  be  due  to  the  processing  of  exceptionally  large 
volumes of decisions, a backlog in previous years and possibly secondary movements.  

Unfounded  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Albanian  nationals  to  EU  Member  States  and 
Schengen-associated countries remain an issue that requires continuous and substantial efforts 
by  the  Albanian  authorities.  In  this  sense,  Albania  continues  to  implement  measures 
addressing  unfounded  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Albanian  nationals.  The  Albanian 
authorities  have  strengthened  efforts  to  raise  awareness  among  the  population  on  the  rights 
and obligations of the visa-free regime, as well as penalties for violations of these obligations. 
They continued to organise information projects and campaigns and regularly posted relevant 
information on Government websites and social media. 

The Albanian authorities have also strengthened operational cooperation with the EU Member 
States most affected by irregular migration and unfounded asylum applications and reinforced 

6 

7  

For the purposes of this report, asylum recognition rate is calculated as the share of all positive decisions at 
first instance (refugee status, subsidiary protection, humanitarian protection under national law) in the total 
number of decisions at first instance. 
The return rate in a given year is calculated as the ratio between the number of Albanian citizens returned 
to Albania in a given year from the Schengen+ area and the numbers of Albanian citizens who received a 
return order in the same year. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
the checks on Albanian nationals travelling abroad, including minors, through more thorough 
exit  interviews.  In  December  2019,  Albania  adopted  additional  measures  to  prevent 
trafficking in human beings. 

Albania is the first among the Western Balkan countries to have signed and operationalised a 
European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex)8 Status Agreement with the EU. The entry into 
force of the Agreement on 1 May 2019 was followed by a deployment of joint Frontex teams 
to  Albania’s border with Greece on 21 May 2019. This  has marked a new phase for border 
cooperation between the EU and Western Balkan countries. Despite limitations related to the 
outbreak of COVID-19, the operation continues to yield good results. By June 2020, 20 EU 
Member  States  participated  in  this  joint  operation  and  over  12,000  irregular  migrants  were 
apprehended.  

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Albania closed its borders on 16 March 2020 
and subsequently declared a state of emergency on 24 March. The latter was lifted on 23 June. 
As  of  22  March  all  commercial  flights  were  cancelled.  On  1  June,  Albania  opened  all  land 
borders with its neighbours. During this period, Albanian authorities repatriated around 2,500 
citizens from abroad (and primarily from the EU) through chartered repatriation flights. Some 
commercial flights (Vienna, Belgrade, and Athens) resumed on 15 June.  

Public order and security 

Albanian-speaking organised crime groups are poly-criminal and are particularly active across 
a broad range of criminal activities in the EU, although they cannot be linked to Albania or to 
Albanian  nationals  alone.  According  to  Europol,  Albanian  nationals  specifically  are  among 
the most frequently reported non-EU suspects for serious criminal offences. They are one of 
the most prevalent users of fraudulent documents on intra-Schengen air movements.  

Albania continued to consolidate its track-record and the effectiveness of its law enforcement 
efforts  to  combat  organised  crime.  A  greater  number  of  large  police  operations  has  led  to 
high-profile  arrests  and  important  indictments  and  prosecutions,  also  as  a  result  of  closer 
police cooperation with the EU Member States. Albanian authorities have consistently shown 
a  strong  commitment  to  counter  the  production  and  trafficking  of  cannabis.  Albania  is  the 
only country in the region that allows an intrusive monitoring mechanism by a third country 
(aerial  surveys  by  the  Italian  Guardia  di  Finanza  for  detection  and  monitoring  of  cannabis 
plantations  in  Albania,  co-financed  by  the  EU)  to  be  in  place.  However,  there  is  a 
considerable gap between the numbers of new referrals and final convictions.  

In  February  2019,  Albania  adopted  a  new  National  Strategy  on  Small  Arms  and  Light 
Weapons for the period 2019-2024. A Firearms Focal Point was established in April 2019, but 
still needs to be fully integrated into the police structure to become entirely operational. 

In  2018  and  2019,  Albania  took  a  number  of  legislative  actions  to  improve  the  legal 
framework in the area of corruption. The overall positive trend as regards the track-record of 
investigations,  prosecutions  and  convictions  in  the  fight  against  corruption  continued, 
although final convictions for high level officials remain rare. 

8     European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA), commonly referred to as Frontex. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
In  January  2020,  the  Albanian  government  adopted  a  legislative  package  introducing 
preventive  measures  to  step  up  its  fight  against  corruption,  organised  crime  and  terrorism, 
focusing in particular on seizure and confiscation of criminal assets. This law provides a set of 
new investigative tools put at the disposal of the Special Prosecution Office within the newly 
established Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Structure.  

Albania  is  pursuing  a  thorough  and  comprehensive  justice  reform,  which  aims  at 
strengthening  the  overall  efforts  to  fight  corruption  and  organised  crime.  This  reform  also 
includes the temporary re-evaluation of all judges and prosecutors (the vetting process), which 
has  advanced  steadily,  producing  tangible  results.  The  vetting  has  continued  despite  the 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although hearings were temporarily suspended due to the 
lockdown,  investigative  activities  on  vetting  dossiers  have  continued  through  remote 
exchanges. The vetting hearings resumed on 3 June 2020. Overall, 64% of the vetting dossiers 
processed  so  far  have  resulted  in  dismissals  or  voluntary  resignations  by  the  assessee.  The 
vetting process  and its results remain  crucial  to  restore  public trust  in  the judiciary  and law 
enforcement bodies of the State. 

A  Europol  liaison  officer  was  deployed  to  Albania  in  June  2019,  and  in  July  Europol 
officially opened its Liaison Office in Tirana, the first one in the Western Balkans. This has 
further  strengthened  cooperation  between  the  EU  Member  States’  and  Albanian  police 
officers  in  the  fight  against  organised  crime  and  helped  align  efforts  to  jointly  tackle  cross-
border threats and fight criminal networks.  

The  working  arrangement  between  Albania  and  the  European  Monitoring  Centre  for  Drugs 
and Drug Addiction, the first in the Western Balkans, was signed in March 2019. It enables 
crucial  expertise  to  be  provided  to  the  Albanian  authorities  and  supports  a  further 
approximation of Albanian law and policies on drug related issues with those of the EU.  

Furthermore, the Cooperation Agreement between Eurojust and Albania entered into force on 
1 November 2019. The Agreement will further facilitate judicial cooperation between the EU 
and Albanian practitioners and increase the fight against transnational organised crime. 

Albania was one of the first Western Balkan countries to sign, on 9 October 2019, a bilateral 
implementing arrangement on Counter-Terrorism with the Commission, as a follow-up to the 
Joint  EU-Western  Balkans  Action  Plan  on  Counter-Terrorism9.  Albania  submitted  its  first 
report on the implementation of the arrangement in June 2020. 

The  number  of  convictions  for  money-laundering  remains  low  and  there  is  still  a  lack  of 
systematic  parallel  investigation  on  terrorism  financing.  Following  the  adoption  of  the 
“Moneyval  package”  by  the  Albanian  Parliament  in  June  2019,  Moneyval  assessed  that, 
overall,  Albania  has  made  progress  in  implementing  its  2018  recommendations,  but  some 
gaps remain10. On 21 February 2020, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) listed Albania 
among 
the  area  of  Anti-Money 
Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism and proposed an action plan targeting the 
most serious deficiencies. This Plan contains actions to be implemented by October 2021 to 
allow  Albania  to  be  removed  from  the  FATF  “grey  list”.  Albania  has  made  a  high-level 

jurisdictions  with  strategic  deficiencies 

the 

in 

9 

10 

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/news/docs/20181005_joint-action-plan-counter-
terrorism-western-balkans.pdf 
https://rm.coe.int/anti-money-laundering-and-counter-terrorist-financing-measures-albania/16809988c0 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
political  commitment  to  implement  the  FATF  action  plan.  The  implementation  has  started 
despite  the  COVID-19  crisis,  in  particular  by  conducting  a  risk  analysis  regarding  banking 
products and service and the misuse of legal entities. The Albanian Parliament is expected to 
examine    a  draft  Law  on  Citizenship,  which,  if  adopted,  could  establish  a  legal  basis  that 
could be used for the setting-up of an investor citizenship scheme. The Commission addressed 
a letter to the Albanian authorities in October 2019 asking for clarifications in this regard and 
alerting  the  Albanian  authorities  about  the  inherent  risks  and  possible  consequences  of 
introducing such a scheme. The Commission is closely monitoring this issue and risks arising 
from  the  possible  introduction  of  an  investor  citizenship  scheme,  in  particular  as  regards 
security,  money  laundering,  tax  evasion,  terrorist  financing,  corruption  or  infiltration  by 
organised crime. 

The  Netherlands  notified  the  Commission  on  2  June  2019,  in  the  framework  of  Regulation 
(EU)  2018/180611,  that  it  faced  circumstances  that  could  lead  to  triggering  the  Visa 
Suspension  Mechanism  for  Albania.  The  concerns  expressed  in  the  notification  were 
predominantly  linked  to  public  order  and  security,  but  also  to  irregular  migration  and 
unfounded asylum applications lodged by Albanian nationals. After a careful examination of 
the content of the notification and based on the  available information  and the relevant  data, 
the Commission considered that the circumstances to trigger the Visa Suspension Mechanism 
for Albania were not met. 

Based on the above analysis, Albania has taken actions identified in the Second Report and 
the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  continue  to  be  fulfilled.  Good  progress  has  been 
achieved  in  the  implementation  of  actions  to  tackle  irregular  migration,  including 
strengthened border controls. Despite the decrease in the return rate, good cooperation on 
readmission continued and should be maintained as well as cooperation with the EU and 
Member  States  on migration  and  security.  At  the  same  time  further  efforts  are  needed  to 
ensure  the  improvement  and  the  sustainability  of  results,  in  particular  as  regards  the 
unfounded asylum applications and the fight against organised crime.  

The following areas need to be further addressed: 

  Step  up  measures  to  address  irregular  migration  and  unfounded  asylum  applications  of 
Albanian  nationals,  including  through  identifying  and  addressing  the  underlying  reasons 
and  organising  further  information  campaigns  on  the  rights  and  obligations  of  visa-free 
travel. 

  Maintain  and  step  up  proactive  operational  cooperation  with  the  EU  Agencies  and  with 
the  EU  Member  States  facing  migratory  pressure  originating  from  Albania  as  well  as 
public  order  and  security  threats  posed  by  the  involvement  of  Albanian  nationals  in 
organised crime groups. 
Improve  the  effectiveness  of  prosecution  and  law  enforcement  efforts  to  combat  high-
level corruption and organised crime. 
Improve  track-record  of  cases  in  respect  of  anti-money  laundering/counter-terrorism 
financing and make full use of the support provided by the Commission to reinforce the 
capacity for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. 

 

 

11   Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 listing 
the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and 
those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, OJ L 303, 28.11.2018, p. 39. 

5 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
Bosnia and Herzegovina  

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between  2018  and  2019,  the  number  of  refusals  of  entry  for  nationals  from  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina in the Schengen+ area  decreased by 20% (from 5,320 to 4,270 in 2019), while 
the number of nationals from Bosnia and Herzegovina found to be illegally staying increased 
by 10% (from 3,915 to 4,290).  

The  number  of  asylum  applications  lodged  by  nationals  from  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina 
decreased  by  17%,  with  1,895  applications  lodged  in  2019  (compared  to  2,280  applications 
lodged in 2018). The asylum recognition rate decreased to 7.2% in 2019 (compared to 10.6% 
in 2018). In the first quarter of 2020, 390 asylum applications were reported, 26% less than in 
the same period of 2019. 

As regards cooperation on readmission, there has been a decrease in the return rate. The return 
rate in 2019 decreased to 40% (compared to 54% in 2018), with 1,495 nationals from Bosnia 
and  Herzegovina  effectively  returned.  However,  since  EU  Member  States  report  good 
cooperation of own and third country nationals, this decrease may be due to the processing of 
large  volumes  of  decisions,  a  backlog  in  consecutive  years  and  possibly  secondary 
movements. 

The  country  has  made  significant  efforts  in  border  control  and  raising  public  awareness 
through  targeted  information  campaigns  on  negative  effects  of  the  misuse  of  the  visa-free 
regime  evidenced  by  the  decreasing  numbers  of  unfounded  asylum  applicants  from  Bosnia 
and Herzegovina in the Schengen+ area.  

The European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) Status Agreement with the EU was initialled 
in January 2019 and its ratification remains pending. Following the entry into force of the new 
European  Border  Coast  Guard  Regulation,  the  Commission  is    working  with  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina in view of the ratification and entry into force of the Status Agreement. 

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  continued  to  address  irregular  migration  challenges  including  the 
flow  of  third-country  nationals  through  the  country  towards  the  Schengen+  area.  Following 
the  increased  influx  of  refugees  and  migrants  in  2018  and  in  2019,  the  authorities  have 
redeployed  available  border  guards.  However,  border  and  migration  management,  including 
in terms of reception capacities and coordination among institutions across the various levels 
of government require improvement. The Coordination Body within the Ministry of Security, 
responsible for monitoring migratory trends, and acting as operational headquarters in case of 
crises is not functioning effectively, in particular regarding the  allocation of suitable premises 
for  reception  centres  and  relocation  of  asylum  seekers  and  migrants  to  available 
accommodation. Serious obstacles remain to an effective access to asylum procedures due to 
very limited human resources and operational capacity. 

As  a  consequence  of  the  COVID-19  crisis,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  declared  the  state  of 
natural  or  other  disasters  on  18  March,  restricting  domestic  and  international  movement  of 
persons.  The  Republika  Srpska  entity  declared  a  state  of  emergency  from  28  March  to  20 
May.  As  of  30  March  all  commercial  flights  were  cancelled  until  1  June,  when  the  flights 
resumed. 

Public order and security 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The country has several strategies in place, notably on organised crime, trafficking in human 
beings  and  integrated  border  management.  However,  the  legal  framework  needs  to  be 
harmonised  across  the  country  and  further  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  There  are  systemic 
shortcomings in the operational cooperation of law enforcement agencies, due to the lack of 
harmonisation  of  criminal  legislation  in  the  country,  exacerbated  by  weak  institutional 
coordination, and a very limited exchange of intelligence. Criminal organisations operating in 
the country take advantage of legal and administrative loopholes. Financial investigations and 
asset seizures are largely ineffective. 

A  rigorous  and  credible  system  of  checks  of  asset  declarations  of  judicial  office  holders  is 
lacking.  The  fight  against  money  laundering  needs  to  be  stepped  up.  Final  convictions  in 
high-level  corruption  cases  are  very  rare  and  sanctions  do  not  act  as  a  sufficient  deterrent. 
Cases  of  corruption  in  sports  have  recently  been  detected.  A  proactive  approach  remains 
fundamental to countering criminal infiltration of the political, legal and economic systems. 

Despite an Agreement on Operational Cooperation with Europol signed in May 2017, to date, 
Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  has  not  appointed  a  National  Contact  Point  as  foreseen  in  that 
agreement,  which  is  necessary  for  the  country  to  send  its  liaison  officer  to  Europol  and  to 
deploy the Europol Liaison Officer to Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the bilateral implementing arrangement on Counter-Terrorism 
with the Commission on 19 November 2019, as a follow up to the Joint EU-Western Balkans 
Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism. 

Based  on  the  above  analysis,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  has  taken  actions  identified  in the 
Second Report; the visa liberalisation benchmarks continue to be fulfilled and progress has 
been achieved in countering the misuse of the visa-free regime. Despite the decrease in the 
return  rate,  good  cooperation  on  readmission  continued  and  should  be  maintained. 
However,  further  improvement  is  expected,  in  particular  as  regards  irregular  migration 
challenges and the need to ensure adequate reception conditions for migrants and refugees, 
border control and to proactively prevent and fight organised crime.  

The following areas need to be further addressed: 

 

Improve  crisis  response  capacity  and  adequate  contingency  planning  to  ensure 
protection-sensitive management of migratory flows, as well as ensure the functioning 
of  the  asylum  system.  Full  responsibility  for  the  management  of  migration  and 
operational  coordination  mechanisms  at  all 
to  be  strengthened 
significantly. 

levels  need 

  Continue to organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free 

travel.  

  Strengthen border control, especially border surveillance, including identification and 
registration  measures,  in  full  respect  of  fundamental  rights,  ensuring  effective 
operational cooperation with the EU Member States and Frontex. 

  Continue  efforts  in  view  of  concluding  of  the  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard 
(Frontex) Status Agreement with EU and appoint a National Contact Point for Europol 
without further delay.  

  Strengthen the prevention and fight against corruption and organised crime, including 
money laundering and terrorism notably by adopting and implementing legislation on 
conflict of interest and whistle-blowers’ protection; ensuring the effective functioning 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  coordination  of  anti-corruption  bodies;  and  demonstrating  progress  towards 
establishing  a  track  record  of  proactive  investigations,  confirmed  indictments, 
prosecutions and final convictions against organised crime and corruption, including at 
high-level. 

  Step  up  efforts  to  strengthen  the  asset  recovery  framework  by  adopting  and 
implementing a more comprehensive legal framework for the confiscation of proceeds 
of crime and improving the capacity of the competent authorities to impose effective 
and deterrent sanctions.  

Montenegro  

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

The number of refusals of entry in the Schengen+ area and of Montenegrin nationals found to 
be illegally staying remained low in 2019. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of refusals of 
entry decreased by 9% (from 515 to 470), while the number of Montenegrin nationals found 
to  be  illegally  staying  increased  by  10%  (from  805  to  885).  No  detection  of  illegal  border 
crossing was recorded in 2019. 

The number of asylum applications lodged by Montenegrin nationals in the Schengen+ area  
continued  to  decrease,  with  410  applications  lodged  in  2019  compared  to  640  applications 
lodged in 2018. In fact, this was the lowest number recorded in the last ten years. The asylum 
recognition rate increased to 4.9% in 2019 (compared to 4.1% in 2018). In the first quarter of 
2020, 110 asylum applications were reported, 8% less than in the same period of 2019.  

As regards cooperation on readmission, there has been a decrease in the return rate. The return 
rate in 2019 decreased to 60% (compared to 73% in 2018) , with 355 Montenegrin nationals 
effectively returned. However, since EU Member States report good cooperation of own and 
third  country  nationals,  this  decrease  may  be  due  to  the  processing  of  exceptionally  large 
volumes of decisions, a backlog in previous years and possibly secondary movements. 

Given  the  above  trends,  in  2019  there  was  no  nation-wide  communication  campaign 
explaining  rights  and  obligations  related  to  visa  free  travel.  However,  the  Montenegrin 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed an e-Consular application providing the necessary 
information  for  Montenegrin  citizens  travelling  abroad  and  responds  to  questions  and 
enquiries of citizens regarding Schengen rules. 

Major  pieces  of  legislation  and  initiatives  in  the  area  of  migration  and  asylum  have  been 
consolidated  and  upgraded  in  the  past  years.  Montenegro  signed  the  European  Border  and 
Coast Guard (Frontex) Status Agreement with the EU on 7 October 2019 which entered into 
force on 1 July 2020, providing for deployments of joint operations. It is the second Western 
Balkans country where such an Agreement has entered into force. 

As a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis, Montenegro closed its borders on 15 March 2020, 
but did not declare a state of emergency. As of 6 March, all commercial flights were cancelled 
until  9  June.  During  this  period,  Montenegrin  authorities  repatriated  around  17,000  citizens 
from abroad (and primarily from the EU) through the activities carried out by the competent 
authorities, including charter flights. The COVID-19 epidemic was declared officially over in 
Montenegro on 2 June. The borders were consequently opened for countries with less than 25 
active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 citizens. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Public order and security 

Drug  trafficking  is  the  main  criminal  activity  of  Montenegrin  organised  crime  groups  and 
triggers  other  security  challenges.  Montenegrin  organised  crime  groups  active  in  drug 
trafficking operate largely outside the country. Montenegro is also perceived as a platform for 
cigarette smuggling. 

Montenegro  has  enhanced  its  international  cooperation  in  the  fight  against  organised  crime, 
which  led  to  successful  operations  against  Montenegrin  crime  groups,  in  the  country  and 
abroad.  Large  amounts  of  drugs  were  seized  and  prominent  members  of  crime  groups  were 
arrested in 2019. As regards cigarette smuggling, cooperation has improved with EU Member 
States’  customs  and  the  European  Anti-Fraud  Office  (OLAF)  and  three  large-scale 
investigations into cigarette smuggling three large-scale investigations into tobacco smuggling 
took place, however there were no court convictions in 2019. Despite increasing efforts in this 
area,  the  number  of  cases  is  still  insufficient,  considering  the  estimated  scale  of  tobacco 
smuggling from, to, and across Montenegro. Good cooperation with Europol and Interpol has 
been observed with an increasing amount of information exchanged through their channels. 

Within the EU Policy Cycle/EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal 
Threats)  in  2020,  Montenegro  is  strongly  involved  in  the  priority  on  “illicit  firearms 
trafficking”,  driven  by  Spain,  notably  by  co-leading  one  of  the  operational  actions. 
Montenegro is one of the first Western Balkan partners to co-lead an operational action in an 
EMPACT  priority.  Montenegro  is  also  participating  in  several  operational  actions  in  other 
EMPACT  priorities  addressing  drugs  trafficking,  child  sexual  exploitation,  facilitation  of 
illegal immigration and organised property crime.  

Corruption  is  an issue of concern. While financial  investigations are now being launched in 
earlier stages of criminal investigations than before, they are still not launched systematically 
in all corruption cases. Concerns still exist as regards the low number of convictions and the 
widespread use of plea bargains, leading to a lenient sentencing policy. 

An  asset  recovery  office  was  established  in  early  2019  within  the  department  of  the  police 
responsible  for  international  police  cooperation.  Despite  some  progress,  the  track-record  in 
the freezing and confiscation of assets needs to be strengthened. 

The Strategy for the control and reduction of small arms and light weapons and ammunition 
for 2019-2024 and the Action Plan on illicit trafficking in firearms between the EU and the 
South East Europe region (2015-2019) continued to be implemented. An operational firearms 
focal point has been established and is operational.  

For the second year in a row, Montenegro amended in December 2019 its law on prevention 
of money laundering and terrorism financing, in order to reflect the changes in the Financial 
Intelligence  Unit’s  (FIU)  institutional  setting.  The  amendments  aimed  at  ensuring  the 
compliance  with  FATF  recommendations,  in  particular  by  ensuring  the  independence  and 
operational autonomy of the FIU, despite the latter being now administratively a department 
of  the  Police.  In  May  2020,  Moneyval  formally  removed  Montenegro  from  the  follow-up 
process,  considering  that  the  country  had  taken  sufficient  steps  to  remedy  deficiencies  that 
had  been  identified  in  2015.  The  law  on  international  restrictive  measures  has  yet  to  be 
amended  to  comply  with  the  EU  acquis.  The  initial  track-record  on  money  laundering  was 
further  developed,  reflecting  a  stronger  focus  and  increasing  capacities  of  law-enforcement 
agencies  in  this  area.  However,  the  number  of  final  convictions  and  asset  confiscations  in 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
money-laundering  cases  remain  low.  Systemic  deficiencies  in  the  criminal  justice  system, 
including the way courts handle money-laundering offences, remain to be addressed. 

Montenegrin authorities signed on 19 November 2019 a bilateral implementing arrangement 
with  the  Commission  as  a  follow-up  to  the  joint  EU-Western  Balkans  Action  Plan  on 
Counter-Terrorism. 

Montenegro’s investor citizenship scheme has been in place since 1 January 2019. To date, 24 
applications  have  been  received  and  while  five  positive  final  decisions  have  been  made,  no 
passports  have  yet  been  issued.  The  Commission  is  closely  monitoring  the  migratory  and 
security risks this scheme could pose, in particular as regards money laundering, tax evasion, 
terrorist financing, corruption or infiltration by organised crime, and has continuously raised 
the issue with Montenegrin authorities. Appropriate due diligence and security checks should 
be applied. 

Based on the above analysis, Montenegro has taken actions identified in the Second Report 
and  the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  continue  to  be  fulfilled.  Good  progress  has  been 
achieved  in  the  implementation  of  actions  to  tackle  migration  challenges.  Despite  the 
decrease  in  the  return  rate,  good  cooperation  on  readmission  continued  and  should  be 
maintained  as  well  as  cooperation  with  the  EU  and  Member  States  on  migration  and 
security.  At  the  same  time,  further  efforts  are  needed  to  ensure  the  improvement  and  the 
sustainability of results in the fight against organised crime and corruption. 

The following areas need to be further addressed: 

  Organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free travel. 
  Prevent  and  fight  organised  crime  and  high-level  corruption,  including  through  the 
confiscation of proceeds of crime and freezing of assets and taking measures to limit 
the use of plea bargains to exceptional cases. 

  Strengthen  the  capacity  of  the  police,  the  prosecution  and  the  courts  to  investigate, 
prosecute  and  adjudicate  money-laundering  cases  in  accordance  with  EU  best 
practices. 

The Republic of North Macedonia 

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between 2018 and 2019, the number of refusals of entry for nationals of North Macedonia in 
the Schengen+ area  decreased by 12% (from 3,185 to 2,815), while the number of nationals 
found to be illegally staying increased by 16% (from 6,010 to 7,000). The number of asylum 
applications  lodged  by  nationals  of  North  Macedonia  in  the  Schengen+  area  decreased  by 
16% in 2019, with 4,035 applications lodged in 2019 compared to 4,785 applications lodged 
in 2018. The asylum recognition rate decreased to 1.4% in 2019 (compared to 2.3% in 2018). 
In the first quarter of 2020, 650 asylum applications were reported, 59% less than in the same 
period of 2019.  

As  regards  cooperation  on  readmission,  there  has  been  a  decrease  in  return  rate.  The  return 
rate in 2019 decreased to 78% (compared to 99% in 2018) in 2019, with 3,005  nationals of 
North  Macedonia  effectively  returned.  Since EU Member States report  good cooperation of 
own and third country nationals, this decrease may be due to the processing of exceptionally 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
large  volumes  of  decisions,  a  backlog  in  consecutive  years  and  possibly  secondary 
movements. 

North  Macedonia  continued  to  address  irregular  migration  challenges.  The  legislative 
framework for the management of external borders is largely aligned with EU standards and 
border  control  was  carried  out  in  respect  of  human  rights.  The  European  Border  and  Coast 
Guard  (Frontex)  Status  Agreement  with  the  EU  was  initialled  in  July  2018,  but  is  not  yet 
signed.  The  authorities  cooperate  extensively  with  Frontex,  including  as  observers  in  joint 
operations.  The  National  Coordination  Centre  for  Integrated  Border  Management  should 
strengthen its institutional and operational capacity including with IT and technical expertise. 
Border  guards,  customs  and  other  bodies  still  do  not  have  mutual  access  to  databases  and 
there  is  no  formalised  and  secure  information  exchange  arrangement  with  the  appropriate 
security services. 

North  Macedonia  has  carried  out  a  number  of  information  campaigns  on  the  rights  and 
obligations of the visa free regime in  order to  give proper information to  its  citizens  and to 
prevent abuses. 

In December 2012, North Macedonia introduced a modification in the law which could allow 
the  acquisition  of  citizenship  for  special  economic  interest.  The  Commission  will  continue 
monitoring  this  area,  taking  into  account  the  possible  risks  related  to  fully  fledged  investor 
citizenship schemes, in particular as regards security, money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist 
financing, corruption or infiltration by organised crime. 

As a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis, North Macedonia closed its borders on 16 March 
and subsequently introduced a state of emergency for consecutive periods limited in time on 
18 March. The latter was lifted on 22 June. As of 18 March all commercial flights have been 
cancelled  until  further  notice.  During  this  period,  North  Macedonia  authorities  repatriated 
3.032 citizens from abroad (and primarily from the EU) through chartered repatriation flights. 
North Macedonia opened its land borders on 26 June. 

Public order and security 

The legislative framework regarding the fight against organised crime is broadly in line with 
European  standards.  Some  progress  was  made  by  further  improving  the  track-record  on 
organised  crime,  stepping  up  law  enforcement  cooperation  and  substantially  improving  the 
operational  capacity  to  fight  trafficking  in  human  beings.  Since  1  January  2020,  six 
investigations were opened against 20 people, five cases concern unauthorised production and 
trade  of  narcotics,  psychotropic  substances  and  precursors  and  one  case  concerns  human 
trafficking (including juvenile) and migrant smuggling. North Macedonia continued to work 
on  preventing  and  combating  all  forms  of  organised  crime  and  corruption.  Further  progress 
was made at the operational level by improving the effectiveness of the National Coordination 
Centre for the Fight against Organised Crime and by participating in joint operations with the 
EU  Member  States  and  neighbouring  countries.  The  Criminal  Code  is  broadly  in  line  with 
European standards and  criminalises trafficking in human beings, online child pornography, 
computer crime and drug trafficking.  

The number of criminal investigations opened at the prosecutor’s office in relation to criminal 
organised groups increased. Most of the investigations and trials concern drug trafficking and 
smuggling  of  migrants.  Despite  some  progress,  law  enforcement  and  prosecution  bodies 
should  further  build  up  operational  capacity,  including  systematically  conducting  financial 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
investigations.  There  is  still  a  need  to  further  improve  coordination  and  systemic  data 
exchange. The country’s tools for freezing, managing and confiscating criminal assets are still 
not  effective  enough.  A  more  integrated  operational  approach  to  effectively  ensure  asset 
recovery is needed.  

North  Macedonia  signed  on  9  October  2019  a  bilateral  implementing  arrangement  on 
Counter-Terrorism  with  the  Commission,  as  a  follow  up  to  the  Joint  EU-Western  Balkans 
Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism12. 

Based on the above analysis, North Macedonia has taken actions identified in the Second 
Report and the visa liberalisation benchmarks continue to be fulfilled. Good progress has 
been achieved in particular as regards information campaigns on the rights and obligations 
of the visa free regime and in the area of prevention and law enforcement efforts to combat 
serious and organised crime. Despite the decrease in the return rate, good cooperation on 
readmission  continued  and  should  be  maintained.  However,  further  improvement  in 
the implementation is expected.  

The following areas need to be further addressed: 

  Strengthening border controls, in full respect of fundamental rights. 
  Continue to organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free 

travel. 

  Continue to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts to combat organised 

criminal networks especially involved in drug trafficking. 

  Continue  to  provide  a  credible  track-record  of  investigations,  prosecutions  and 

convictions. 

  Further strengthen the fight against corruption. 
  Step  up  investigations  and  prosecution  of  organised  crime  groups,  including  those 

engaged in migrant smuggling, money laundering and financial crimes. 

Serbia  

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between  2018  and  2019,  the  number  of  refusals  of  entry  for  Serbian  nationals  in  the 
Schengen+  area    decreased  by  8%  (from  9,035  to  8,300),  while  the  number  of  Serbian 
nationals found to be illegally staying increased by 4% (from 13,090 to 13,635). The number 
of asylum applications lodged by Serbian nationals in the Schengen+ area decreased by 5%, 
with 6,075 applications lodged in 2019 compared to 6,425 applications lodged in 2018. The 
asylum recognition rate decreased to 4.8% in 2019 (compared to 7.0% in 2018).  In the first 
quarter of 2020, 1,015 asylum applications were reported, 53% less than in the same period of 
2019.  

As regards cooperation on readmission, there has been a decrease in the return rate. The return 
rate  decreased  to  60%  in  2019  (compared  to  77%  in  2018),  with  5,250  Serbian  nationals 
effectively returned. However, since EU Member States report good cooperation of own and 
third  country  nationals,  these  fluctuations,  however,  may  be  due  to  the  processing  of 

12  

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/news/docs/20181005_joint-action-plan-counter-
terrorism-western-balkans.pdf 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
exceptionally  large  volumes  of  decisions,  a  backlog  in  consecutive  years  and  possibly 
secondary movements. 

The European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) Status Agreement with the EU was signed 
on 19 November 2019. As the EU has finalised its ratification procedure, the agreement will 
enter into force once Serbia ratifies it. After the entry into force, the Status Agreement should 
be  operationalised  as  soon  as  possible,  including  through  the  deployment  of  joint  Frontex 
teams. 

As regards visa policy, the visa-free status given by Serbia to other countries13 which are on 
the EU’s visa required list remains a source of concern due to possible migratory and security 
risks and is closely monitored.  

Information  campaigns  directed  at  raising  the  level  of  awareness  on  rights  and  obligations 
under the visa-free regime for Serbian nationals are continuously being organised. 

As  a  consequence  of  the  COVID-19  crisis,  Serbia closed  its  borders  on  15  March  and 
subsequently  introduced  a  state  of  emergency  on  the  same  day.  The  latter  was  lifted  on  6 
May. On 19 March all commercial flights were cancelled until 21 May. Until 22 May Serbian 
authorities  repatriated  5,637  citizens  from  abroad  (and  primarily  from  the  EU)  through 
chartered repatriation flights.  

Public order and security 

Organised  crime  groups,  in  particular  Serbian,  continue  to  play  a  prominent  role  in  the 
trafficking and distribution of cocaine in the EU. The remaining weapon stocks in Serbia, are 
a risk in the framework of firearms trafficking. 

The  Working  Arrangement  between  the  Serbian  Office  for  Combatting  Drugs  and  the 
European  Monitoring  Centre  for  Drugs  and  Drug  Addiction  is  expected  to  be  signed  in  the 
foreseeable  future.  Serbia  is  actively  participating  in  the  EU  Policy  Cycle  for  serious 
international  and  organised  crime  (2018-2021/European  Multidisciplinary  Platform  Against 
Criminal  Threats,  EMPACT.  In  2020,  Serbia  participates  in  15  operational  actions  within 
EMPACT (out of 249 in total). A Serbian Police Liaison Officer has been posted at Europol 
since  March  2017.  The  deployment  of  a  Europol  Liaison  Officer  to  Serbia  is  still  pending,  
despite the fact that an agreement on this deployment was ratified in November 2019.  

As regards the confiscation of  criminal  assets, Serbia designated the Financial  Investigation 
Unit in the Ministry of the Interior to perform the function of the Asset Recovery Office but it 
is  not  yet  fully  operational.  Serbia  is  implementing  the  law  on  the  organisation  and 
jurisdiction of government  authorities in  fighting organised  crime, terrorism  and corruption. 
However,  the  law  enforcement  and  judicial  authorities  still  need  to  establish  a  convincing 
track  record  of  investigation,  prosecution,  and  convictions  in  serious  and  organised  crime 
cases.  The  introduction  of  the  special  departments  for  combating  corruption  in  the  Higher 
Prosecutors’  Offices  two  years  ago  starts  to  yield  results  and  the  number  of  first  instance 
convictions, following prosecution by the special departments, is increasing.  

13 

The EU acquis foresees that nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, China, 
Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Oman, Qatar, 
Suriname,  Turkey,  Tunisia,  and  Russia  are  under  the  obligation  to  possess  a  visa  when  entering  the  EU 
whilst Serbia offers these nationals visa-free access to their territory. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Serbia has adjusted the organisational structure of the police to the needs of the intelligence-
led  policing  model.  In  June  2019,  Serbia  adopted  a  Strategy  for  Small  Arms  and  Light 
Weapons Control for the period 2019 – 2024 with its accompanying Action Plan, which are 
now being implemented. A team for monitoring and exchanging all operational data regarding 
weapons  has  been  established.  A  Cooperation  Agreement  between  Serbia  and  Eurojust  was 
signed  on  12  November  and  entered  into  force  in  December  2019.  The  Serbian  authorities 
signed on 19 November 2019 a bilateral arrangement with the Commission to implement the 
joint EU-Western Balkans Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism. 

Based on the above analysis, Serbia has taken actions identified in the Second Report and 
the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  continue  to  be  fulfilled.  Good  progress  has  been 
achieved in the implementation of actions to tackle irregular migration challenges. Despite 
the decrease in the return rate, good cooperation on readmission continued and should be 
maintained,  as  well  as  cooperation  with  the  EU  and  Member  States  on  migration  and 
security.  At  the  same  time,  further  efforts  are  needed  to  ensure  the  improvement  and  the 
sustainability of results, in particular as regards the alignment to the EU’s visa policy. 

The following areas need to be further addressed: 

  Alignment with EU visa policy, which is an underlying condition for the continuous 

fulfilment of the migration management benchmark. 

  Continue to organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free 

travel.  

  Further strengthen the border control process, especially border surveillance, including 

identification and registration measures, in full respect of fundamental rights. 

  Ensure the Europol liaison officer’s timely accreditation and deployment. 
  Establish  a  convincing  track-record  of  investigation,  prosecution,  and  convictions  in 
organised  crime  cases,  including  drugs  and  money  laundering,  based  on  proactive 
investigations (including systematic tracking of money flows and their confiscation as 
well as the efficient use of special investigative measure to collect relevant evidence).  

II.2 Eastern Partnership 

Georgia 

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between  2018  and  2019,  the  number  of  refusals  of  entry  for  Georgian  nationals  in  the 
Schengen  increased  by  17%  (from  3,805  to  4,435),  also  the  number  of  Georgian  nationals 
found to be illegally staying increased by 26% (from 9,400 to 11,845). The number of asylum 
applications  lodged  by  Georgian  nationals  in  the  Schengen+  area  increased  by  9%,  with 
21,570 applications lodged in 2019 compared to 19,730 applications lodged in 2018. For the 
third year in a row, Georgia continued to be the main country of origin of applicants among 
visa  free  Eastern  Partnership  countries.  The  asylum  recognition  rate  decreased  to  4.1%  in 
2019 (compared to 4.7% in 2018). In the first quarter of 2020, 3,795 asylum applications were 
reported, 42% less than in the same period of 2019. 

As regards cooperation on readmission, there has been a decrease in the return rate. The return 
rate  in  2019  decreased  to  52%  (compared  to  65%  in  2018),  with  8,520  Georgian  nationals 
effectively  returned.  However,  since  EU  Member  States  report  good  cooperation  on 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
readmission of own and third country nationals, this decrease in the return rates should not be 
attributed to underperformance or changes in the cooperation.  
With  EU  support,  Georgia  has  developed  an  Electronic  Readmission  Case  Management 
System  (RCMS)  currently  used  by  17  Member  States  who  have  repeatedly  expressed 
satisfaction with its use and especially appreciate the timely manner in which Georgia handles 
the applications. There has been a 98% rate of positive replies to readmission requests. The 
system is often used as an example of good practice and technology for other third countries. 

Unfounded  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Georgian  citizens  to  EU  Member  States  and 
Schengen-associated countries remains an issue that requires ongoing and substantial efforts 
by the Georgian authorities. Asylum applications are often abused for the purpose of seeking 
medical care in the EU. The Georgian authorities continued to address the challenge and are 
working with the Commission, the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies, and the EU Member 
States  on  a  set  of  operational  measures  to  decrease  irregular  migration  and  crime-related 
challenges. To tackle the misuse of the visa-free regime, Georgia introduced amendments to 
the  Criminal  Code,  which  foresees  the  criminalisation  of  the  facilitation  of  illegal  stay  of 
Georgian nationals abroad, as well as assistance for submission of falsified information with a 
view to obtaining international protection (e.g. asylum). Georgia has committed to tighten the 
procedure  of  changing  family  names  (further  to  the  restrictions  introduced  in  2018)  and 
adopted in November 2019 the amendments to the law on the Procedure for Enforcing Non-
Custodial  Sentences  and  Probation  introducing  stricter  regulations  and  clearer  criteria  to 
decide whether a convicted person may leave the country.  

In  the  area  of  border  management  Georgian  authorities  stepped  up  their  cooperation  with 
Frontex. To mitigate the flow of Georgian irregular migrants arriving at EU airports, Frontex, 
together with the Georgian authorities and EU Member States, launched a Joint Activity in the 
spring of 2019. In this context, Frontex experts were deployed to support the Georgian Patrol 
Police  at  Kutaisi  international  airport,  to  advise  Georgian  Patrol  Police  officials  on  the 
admissibility  to  the  Schengen+  area  of  departing  Georgian  passengers.  As  a  parallel  and 
complementary  activity,  four  Georgian  Patrol  Police  officers  were  deployed  monthly  to  the 
selected  EU  Member  States’  airports  in  2019  and  at  the  beginning  of  2020,  to  assist  local 
border  authorities  as  observers  in  second-line  activities.  The  operation  is  currently  on  hold, 
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In  June  2020,  the  Commission  approved  a  new  working  arrangement  between  Frontex  and 
Georgia  to  counter  irregular  migration  and  cross-border  crime,  to  exchange  the  information 
and best practice in the field of border management including return, also through joint risk 
analysis. 

In 2019 and 2020, EU experts were deployed through the European Commission’s Technical 
Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) to advise the Georgian authorities 
on  the  necessary  legislative  framework  improvements  to  conduct  pre-departure  checks  at 
borders. 

The Georgian Government has conducted three rounds of information campaigns to increase 
the awareness of the population about the rules of visa-free travel to the EU. The third round 
was  specifically  targeted  to  potential  asylum  seekers,  stressing  the  responsibility  of  each 
Georgian national to comply with the rules of the visa free regime.  

As  a  consequence  of  the  COVID-19  crisis,  Georgia  closed  its  borders  on  18  March  and 
subsequently introduced a state of emergency on 21 March. The latter was lifted on 22 May. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On  21  March  all  commercial  flights  were  cancelled  until  30  June.  During  this  period,  the 
Georgian  Foreign  Ministry  repatriated  over  13,000  Georgian  citizens  from  abroad  (and 
primarily from the EU) through chartered repatriation flights. 

Public order and security 

Organised  crime  groups  from  Georgia  continue  to  be  reported  as  highly  active  within  the 
Schengen+ area and play a significant role in organised property crimes. Georgian organised 
crime  groups  have  changed  their  activities  in  several  EU  Member  States  from  domestic 
burglaries to organised shoplifting. Some of them have also moved to other countries for their 
operations.  This  is,  to  some  extent,  probably  the  result  of  increased  efforts  undertaken  by 
many  EU  Member  States  in  recent  years  to  tackle  organised  crime.  Furthermore,  since  the 
entry  into  force  of  the  visa-free  regime,  several  EU  Member  States  reported  an  increase  of 
Georgian asylum seekers amongst criminals arrested. 

Georgian  cybercriminals  were  involved  in  the  international  GozNym  criminal  network 
dismantled  in  May  2019  by  an  international  law  enforcement  operation  supported  by 
Europol14. 

Georgia  has  reinforced  its  cooperation  on  international  law  enforcement  with  Europol  and 
strengthened the network of Georgian police attachés in the EU. Within the framework of the 
recently adopted Action Plan (2019-2020) of the National Strategy for Combating Organised 
Crime  (2017-2020),  Georgia  has  further  strengthened  its  action  against  organised  crime  as 
well as  continuing  to  strengthen its modern crime analysis mechanisms through the  gradual 
introduction of intelligence-led policing. 

Georgia continues to implement anti-corruption reforms via its Anti-Corruption Strategy and 
Action  Plan  2019-2020  reflecting  anticorruption  priorities  in  different  sectors  (judiciary, 
private  sector,  political  corruption,  procurement,  etc.)  and  taking  into  account  the 
recommendations  by  international  actors.  However,  some  concerns  of  high-level  corruption 
persist. 

Based on the above analysis, Georgia has taken actions identified in the Second Report and 
the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  continue  to  be  fulfilled.  Despite  the  decrease  in  the 
return rate, good cooperation on readmission continued and should be maintained. While 
concrete measures have been put in place to address irregular migration and crime related 
challenges,  further  immediate  action  is  needed  to  address  these  challenges,  in  particular 
the increasing numbers of unfounded asylum applications. 

14   The  criminal  network  used  GozNym  malware  in  an  attempt  to  steal  an  estimated  USD  100  million  from 

more than 41,000 victims, primarily businesses and their financial institutions. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
The following areas need to be further addressed: 

  Strengthen  operational  cooperation  to  achieve  and  maintain  a  swift  decrease  in  the 
number  of  unfounded  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Georgian  nationals  in  the 
Schengen+ area, in particular to address, in a more systematic way healthcare related 
issues, which is one of the pull factors for lodging asylum applications in the EU. 
  Strengthen the pre-departure checks, in particular for low cost flights at international 

airports in full respect of fundamental rights and data protection requirements. 

  Continue to organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free 

travel. 

  Strengthen  cross-border  law  enforcement  cooperation  to  fight  against  Georgian 
organised crime groups and as part of this process, finalise the reform on intelligence-
led policing as a matter of priority. 

The Republic of Moldova 

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between  2018  and  2019,  the  number  of  refusals  of  entry  for  Moldovan  nationals  in  the 
Schengen+  area    decreased  by  3%  (from  8,170  to  7,940),  while  the  number  of  Moldovan 
nationals found to be illegally staying increased by 47% (from 11,280 to 16,540). The number 
of  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Moldovan  nationals  in  the  Schengen+  area  increased  by 
48%, with 5,685 applications lodged in 2019 compared to 3,830 applications lodged in 2018. 
The asylum recognition  rate decreased to 0.8% in 2019 (compared to 1.4% in 2018). In the 
first  quarter  of  2020,  1,345  asylum  applications  were  reported,  7%  less  than  in  the  same 
period of 2019.  

As regards cooperation on readmission, there has been a decrease in the return rate. The return 
rate  in  2019  decreased  to  63%  (compared  to  86%  in  2018),  with  4,720 Moldovan  nationals 
effectively  returned.  However,  since  EU  Member  States  report  good  cooperation  on 
readmission of own and third country nationals, this decrease in the return rates should not be 
attributed  to  underperformance  or  changes  in  the  cooperation.  Moldova  has  put  in  place 
information campaigns related to visa-free travel and a number of actions particularly targeted 
at the integration of vulnerable communities.  

As a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis, Moldova declared a state of emergency and closed 
its  borders  on  17  March.  Travel  restrictions  were  extended  until  15  July  2020.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  pandemic,  200,000-250,000  Moldovan  citizens  were  repatriated  from  the 
EU. These returns may represent an increased cost for the social system, together with a drop 
in revenues from remittances. The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) statistics indicate that in 
March 2020 remittances dropped by 12% compared to 2019. 

Public order and security 

Moldovan organised crime groups continued to represent a substantial crime threat during the 
reporting period. Their involvement  in  excise fraud (mainly tobacco) increased in  2019 and 
the  organised  crime  groups  continue  to  be  involved  in  sports  corruption.  Moldova  is  an 
important source country for counterfeit alcoholic beverages smuggled to the EU and a major 
source of contraband and counterfeit cigarettes, as well as skilled tobacco technicians working 
in illicit cigarette factories in the EU. Moldova is a transit country for illegal drugs, especially 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
heroin,  trafficked  to  the  EU.  Moldovan  organised  crime  groups  are  reported  to  be  heavily 
involved  in  financially  motivated  malware  and  ransomware  distribution  and  cybercriminals 
played key roles in  the international  GozNym  malware criminal  network  dismantled in  May 
201915. 

Moldova has made efforts related to the fight against corruption, such as the increase of  the 
annual  budget  of  anti-corruption  institutions,  including  the  National  Integrity  Authority,  the 
Criminal Assets Recovery Agency and the Financial Investigation Unit. In June-August 2019 
the Government led by former Prime Minister Maia Sandu approved the Activity Programme 
‘Partnership for the de-politicisation of the State’ and Action Plan 2019-2020, which provided 
the  framework  for  the  investigation  of  corruption,  and  focused  the  activity  of  the 
Anticorruption  Prosecution  Office  on  high-level  cases.  The  law  on  the  Prosecutor’s  Office 
was  amended  in  order  to  set  up  a  new  selection  procedure  for  the  position  of  the  General 
Prosecutor. Questions concerning the recruitment process of the Prosecutor General resulted 
in a vote of non-confidence in the government of Moldova on 12 November 2019. The new 
government, sworn in on 14 November 2019, presented a programme until autumn 2020 and 
on  11  December  2019  approved  an  Action  Plan  for  2020-2023  including  anticorruption, 
justice  reform  and  the  investigation  of  banking  fraud.  On  28  May  2020,  Moldova  officially 
joined  the  Istanbul  Anti-Corruption  Action  Plan  of  the  Anti-Corruption  Network  of  the 
OECD. Moldova also adopted the law on Anti-Money Laundering sanctions on 21 May 2020. 

Under the justice reform initiative, the Government proposed amendments in December 2019 
to  the  law  on  the  Superior  Council  of  Magistracy  (SCM)16  which  was  adopted  and 
promulgated. An urgent opinion by the Venice Commission on the draft law was pending and 
expressed  regret  regarding  the  amendments  that  were  perceived  to  have  been  rushed 
through17. Under these amendments, four lay members were appointed to the SCM in March 
2020. Draft constitutional amendments for the reform of the judiciary, in particular the SCM, 
were  submitted  to  the  Venice  Commission.  While  several  proposals  were  regarded  as 
positive,  the  Venice  Commission  criticised  the  March  2020  appointments  and  called  on  the 
Government  to  address  this  issue  in  the  constitutional  reform  process.18  The  draft  Justice 
Reform  Strategy  and  Action  Plan  2020-2023  were  submitted  to  the  Council  of  Europe  for 
consultation.   

On 19 July 2019, Moldova temporarily suspended the ‘Citizenship by Investment’ scheme for 
four months, which was further extended for two more months in December 2019. Since the 
launch  of  the  programme  and  until  the  establishment  of  the  moratorium,  eight  persons 
acquired  the  citizenship  of  Moldova  and  34  pending  applications  (introduced  before  the 
establishment of the first moratorium) continued to be processed. On 26 February 2020, the 
Government  adopted  a  new  law  that  introduced  a  new  moratorium  until  1  September  2020. 
The law was voted on 28 February 2020 in two readings and the new moratorium entered into 
force  on  20  March  2020.  On  18  June  2020,  the  Parliament  adopted  the  law  to  abolish  the 
Citizenship  for  Investment  Programme  as  of  1  September  2020  (end  of  the  existing 
moratorium). Until the programme is cancelled only existing applications will continue to be 
processed. The Commission is closely monitoring that robust security and background checks 

15   The criminal network used GozNym malware to steal from more than 41 000 victims, primarily businesses 
and their financial institutions. So-called ‘crypters’ (including one in Balti in Moldova) were used to crypt 
the malware so antivirus software would not detect it. 

16   Law No. 193 of 20 December 2019 on amending the SCM Law. 
17   Venice Commission Opinion CDL-PI(2020)001.  
18   Venice Commission Opinion CDL-AD(2020)001. 

18 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
are in place for the applications received prior to the entry into force of the moratorium and 
which will continue to be processed until the cancellation of the programme on 1 September 
2020. 

Regarding the COVID-19 crisis, the Parliament declared the state of emergency for 60 days 
on 17 March 2020 and modified the state of emergency law to allow the Parliament to vote 
organic laws, as well as to offer some flexibility to the governmental bodies that manage the 
emergency  situation,  i.e.  the  Commission  for  Emergency  Situations  –  coordinated  by  the 
Prime  Minister,  the  Ministry  of  Internal  Affairs  and  the  Inspectorate  for  Emergency 
Situations. The state of emergency was declared on the same day in the Transnistrian region, 
originally  for  30  days  only,  but  then  extended  until  15  May.  On  1  April  the  Government 
assumed responsibility on a socio-economic package to tackle the consequences of COVID-
19, which was suspended by the Constitutional Court on 9 April and declared unconstitutional 
on  13  April.  On  10  April,  the  Commission  on  Exceptional  Situations  adopted  most  of  the 
measures included in the package. On 23 April, Parliament adopted the corresponding budget 
rectification and the related laws were promulgated by the President and entered into force on 
25 April. 

Based  on  the  above  analysis,  Moldova  has  taken  actions  identified  in  the  Second  Report 
and  the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  continue  to  be  fulfilled.  Although  the  former 
Moldovan Government led by then Prime Minister Maia Sandu initiated important actions 
with  regard  to  the  anti-corruption  benchmark,  these  efforts  need  to  be  fully  implemented 
and  sustained  by  the  new  Government.  Despite  the  decrease  in  the  return  rate,  good 
cooperation on readmission continued and should be maintained. With regard to irregular 
migration,  Moldova  needs  to  increase  efforts  and  take  action  to  address  the  increase  of 
unfounded asylum applications.  

The following areas need to be further addressed:  

  Strengthen  operational  cooperation  to  achieve  a  swift  decrease  in  the  number  of 
unfounded asylum applications lodged by Moldovan nationals in the Schengen+ area.  
  Continue to organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free 

travel.  

  Continue effective consultations to adopt a strategic concept and action plan for justice 
reform  based  on  a  comprehensive  diagnostic,  ensuring  wide  consensus  from 
stakeholders and in strict adherence with the Constitution and European standards. 
  Ensure progress with regard the adoption of constitutional amendments related to the 

judiciary in line with the Venice Commission’s recommendations. 

  Significantly  reduce  the  existing  backlog  of  e-declarations  by  the  National  Integrity 
Authority and ensure the effective implementation of the Asset Recovery Strategy and 
the asset declaration system with regard to all high-level actors. 

  Strengthen  efforts  in  order  to  perform  and  finalise  an  impartial  and  comprehensive 
investigation  and  prosecution of  the  2014  banking  fraud, with a view to bringing  all 
those  responsible 
the 
to 
misappropriated funds. 

justice  without  further  delay  and 

recovering 

to 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ukraine 

Irregular migration, asylum applications, readmission 

Between  2018  and  2019,  the  number  of  refusals  of  entry  for  Ukrainian  nationals  in  the 
Schengen+  area  increased  by  25%  (from  53,185  to  66,390)  as  well  as  the  number  of 
Ukrainian nationals found to be illegally staying increased by 11% (from 37,410 to 41,705).  
The  number  of  asylum  applications  lodged  by  Ukrainian  nationals  in  the  Schengen+  area 
decreased  by  5%,  with  9,505  applications  lodged  in  2019  compared  to  10,035  applications 
lodged in 2018. The asylum recognition rate decreased to 10.2% in 2019 (compared to 17.3% 
in 2018). In the first quarter of 2020, 1,570 asylum applications were reported, 41% less than 
in the same period of 2019. 

As regards cooperation on readmission, there has been a decrease in the return rate. The return 
rate decreased to 73% in 2019 (compared to 85% in 2018), with 27,200 Ukrainian nationals 
effectively  returned.  However,  since  EU  Member  States  report  good  cooperation  on 
readmission of own as well as third country nationals, this decrease in the return rates should 
not be attributed to underperformance or changes in the cooperation. An ongoing EU-funded 
project  will  deliver  an  electronic  readmission  case  management  system  that  aims  to  bring 
further efficiency in the operational cooperation.  

Ukraine  continued  organising  information  campaigns  informing  Ukrainian  nationals  about 
their rights and obligations when travelling to the EU on visa waivers.  

Ukraine is stepping up its efforts in the area of border management. An inter-agency working 
group  was  set  up  by  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers  in  January  2019  with  the  main  aim  of 
coordinating border management related operational policies. A new comprehensive strategy 
for Integrated Border Management 2020-2025 was developed with expert support of the EU 
and  adopted  in  July  2019.  An  accompanying  action  plan  was  adopted  in  November  2019. 
Discussions regarding the need to criminalise the smuggling of all goods (and not only excise 
goods)  as  an  indispensable  element  of  border  management  are  ongoing,  with  no  clear 
commitment on the Ukrainian side so far. 

As a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis Ukraine put in place a series of measures, including 
a  general  ban  on  the  entry  of  foreign  citizens,  with  exceptions,  and  the  suspension  of  all 
regular commercial international flights, train and bus traffic in and out of Ukraine as of 17 
March  2020.  “Emergency  situation”  provisions  were  introduced  nationwide  as  of  25  March 
2020,  which  included  reinforced  public  order  measures,  obligatory  medical  examination  of 
persons  with  COVID-19  symptoms  and  enforced  hospitalisation  or  quarantine  of  these 
persons,  as  well  as  enhanced  communication  with  citizens  and  sanitary  measures  including 
disinfection  of  public  facilities.  These  measures  have  been  extended  until  31  July  2020, 
allowing  for  the  easing  of  restrictions  region-by-region  depending  on  development  of  the 
epidemiological situation.  

During this period, Ukraine repatriated several thousand citizens notably through hundreds of 
flights  sporadically  organised  for  this  purpose. The  government  ordered  the  resumption  of 
border crossing services  at  Ukraine’s international  airports  as of 15 June 2020. Commercial 
flight  services  have  resumed  gradually  as  of  this  date,  based  also  on  the  epidemiological 
situations, bilateral agreements with and outstanding measures in force among third countries, 
including EU Member States.   

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Public order and security 

Ukrainian  organised  crime  groups  are  increasingly  involved  in  drugs  trafficking,  organised 
property  crime  in  particular  motor  vehicle  crimes,  as  well  as  investment fraud  schemes  and 
sports  corruption.  They  frequently  cooperate  with  organised  crime  groups  from  other 
countries. Ukrainian cybercriminals  continue to  be involved in  various types  of cybercrime, 
including  attacks  on  EU  citizens  and  targets.  Moreover,  the  conflict  in  Ukraine  and  the 
effective lack of controls on parts of Ukraine’s Eastern border continues to pose a risk for the 
diversion  of  firearms  and  other  trafficked/smuggled  goods  from  the  region  to  the  EU.  In 
addition,  Ukrainians  are  among  the  most  reported  non-EU  victims  of  trafficking  in  human 
beings during the past years.  

Ukraine has stepped up efforts in international cooperation, including with Europol. Ukrainian 
law  enforcement  agencies  are  involved  in  joint  operations  under  the  EU  Policy  Cycle/ 
EMPACT.  Ukraine  is  developing  international  law  enforcement  cooperation  to  combat 
organised  crime.  The  EU  actively  supports  Ukrainian  law  enforcement  agencies  in 
strengthening  their  capacities  via  the  PRAVO  Police19  flagship  support  project  and  the  EU 
Advisory Mission. Ukraine, while still lacking an overarching strategy for the reorganisation 
of the law enforcement sector, continues to reform the National Police. A recently developed 
Ukrainian-led  Security  for  Combating  Organised  Crime  (SOCTA),  based  on  Europol’s 
methodology  is  a  significant  step  to  fight  organised  crime  and  in  improving  internal  law 
enforcement inter-agency cooperation but is still awaiting approval.  

In the area of the fight  against corruption, Ukraine continued to build on earlier progress in 
the  establishment  of  an  effective  institutional  framework  including  the  new  High  Anti-
Corruption Court (HACC), which began functioning on 5 September 2019. The HACC still 
has  not  received  permanent  premises,  which  is  essential  to  ensure  independence  and 
sustainability  of  its  work.  The  removal  of  the  obligation  to  submit  e-declarations  by  anti-
corruption activists and foreign members of supervisory boards for state owned enterprises as 
well  as  re-criminalisation  of  illicit  enrichment  and  introduction  of  provisions  on  non-
conviction  based  confiscation  were  important  steps.  Progress  has  been  made  towards  the 
effective and automated verification of electronic asset declarations, notably by ensuring that 
the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) has full and automated access to all 
relevant registers and databases. 

In  October  2019,  a  law  was  adopted  that  foresees  a  full  reboot  of  the  NACP,  in  particular 
changing its  management  structure from  a collegiate  body to  a single Director.  Following  a 
transparent selection process with the participation of international experts, a new Head of the 
NACP was appointed in January 2020. 

Following  sustained  international  pressure  over  the  past  several  years,  in  October  2019,  the 
National  Anti-Corruption  Bureau  (NABU)  was  finally  granted  an  autonomous  wiretapping 
power. 

19   EUR 36  million  programme  designed  to  support  the  creation  of  an  efficient  law-enforcement  system, 
respectful of human rights, in support of the people of Ukraine, via the provision of the necessary support 
to the National Police of Ukraine and other Ukrainian authorities in charge of law enforcement (December 
2017 – June 2021). 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Concerns relating to the independence of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office 
(SAPO)  raised  in  2018  by  allegations  of  serious  misconduct  against  the  Head  of  the  SAPO 
have not been addressed. Despite the tensions caused by these allegations, NABU and SAPO 
continued to cooperate actively in 2019, during the last six months of 2019 with more persons 
exposed for corruption than during the whole of 2018. Attempts to dismiss the head of NABU 
regained  momentum  in  early  February  2020,  when  a  Parliamentary  petition  for  his  removal 
received more than 200 signatures although none of the grounds for dismissal under the law 
were  fulfilled.  Following  the  controversial  and  heavily  politicised  2018  appointment  of 
auditors  for  the  external  audit  of  NABU,  the  previous  appointments  were  cancelled  by  the 
new leadership without new appointments made. A negative audit conclusion is a ground for 
the dismissal of the head of NABU. 

In June 2020, the Office of the Prosecutor General  initiated the selection process  for a new 
SAPO  Head  by  appointing  four  members  to  the  selection  commission.  A  further  seven 
members  remain  to  be  appointed  by  the  Parliament.  The  new  head  of  SAPO  is  expected  to 
take up work in autumn 2020.  

In December 2019, a law relaunching the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), in charge of 
investigating  misconduct  of  public  officials  (including  corruption  offences  outside  NABU’s 
mandate), was adopted and an acting Director appointed. The selection of the permanent head 
of  the  SBI  is  delayed  due  to  political  controversy  about  the  composition  of  the  selection 
commission. 

Based on the above analysis, Ukraine has taken action identified in the Second Report and 
the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  continue  to  be  fulfilled.  Despite  the  decrease  in  the 
return rate, good cooperation on readmission continued and should be maintained as well 
as cooperation with the EU and Member States on measures to tackle migration challenges 
and  mitigate  security  risks.  Ukraine  continued  its  efforts  in  the  area  of  rule  of  law. 
However,  more  efforts  are  needed  to  ensure  the  sustainability  of  results  in  particular  as 
regards the fight against corruption and organised crime as well as further improvement of 
the Integrated Border Management System (including the criminalisation of smuggling of 
all goods). Immediate actions are also needed to address irregular migration challenges.  

The following areas need to be further addressed:  

  Strengthen  operational  cooperation  with  Member  States  to  decrease  irregular 

migration by Ukrainian nationals to the Schengen+ area.  

  Continue to organise information campaigns on the rights and obligations of visa-free 

travel. 

  Ensure  the  independence,  effectiveness  and  sustainability  of  the  anti-corruption 
institutional  framework  and  avoid  politicisation  of  the  work  of  all  law  enforcement 
agencies. In particular address persisting concerns with the independence and integrity 
of  SAPO,  including  by  ensuring  a  credible  selection  procedure  for  the  next  SAPO 
Head. Ensure that the appointment and dismissal of the all law enforcement agencies 
leadership  takes  place  in  strict  accordance  with  the  law.  Ensure  that  the  relaunched 
National  Agency  for  the  Prevention  of  Corruption  credibly  fulfils  its  mandate, 
including  by  continuing  to  operate  a  fully  functioning  and  effective  system  for  the 
verification of asset declarations. 

  Reinforce  the  capacities  of  the  National  Police  and  improve  the  cooperation  and 

delineation between law enforcement agencies to better tackle organised crime. 

22 

 
  
 
 
 
 
III.  Conclusions  

The Commission considers that on the basis of the analysis presented in this Report and the 
accompanying Staff Working Document, the visa liberalisation requirements for the assessed 
countries continue to be fulfilled. This Report identifies further actions which need to be taken 
– in some cases immediately – in specific areas in order to ensure continuous fulfilment of the 
benchmarks. 

As  a  broader  response  to  COVID-19,  the  Commission  is  redirecting  assistance  from  the 
Instrument  of  Pre-Accession  and  European  Neighbourhood  Instrument  respectively  for 
Western  Balkans  and  Eastern  Partnership  partners  for  immediate  needs  and  to  tackle  socio-
economic  consequences.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  pandemic,  the  Western  Balkan  and 
Eastern  Partnership  partners  have  put  in  place  wide  range  of  measures  and  repatriated  their 
nationals including from Schengen+ area.  

Numbers of unfounded asylum applications, in the case of Albania and Georgia continue 
to  be  a  source  of  concern.  Some  Member  States  report  the  phenomenon  that  asylum 
applications  are  lodged  to  seek  medical  care  in  the  EU  (notably  Georgians).  Increased 
irregular migration from Georgia, Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina has been 
observed.  Irregular  migration  of  Albanian  nationals  continues  to  be  high.  The  Western 
Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries took measures to address these challenges, but more 
efforts are needed to ensure the improvement and the sustainability of results. 

Insufficient  reception  capacity  in  some  Western  Balkan  countries  (notably  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina)  raises  concerns  about  the  capacity  to  fully  address  irregular  migration 
challenges. Despite the decrease in the return rate, the cooperation on readmission and return 
continues  smoothly  for  all  Western  Balkan  and  Eastern  Partnership  countries.  However,  a 
steady rate of return and readmission of own country nationals  should be maintained, while 
the  readmission  of  third-country  nationals  should  be  further  improved  in  particular  by 
Western Balkan countries. 

The swift finalisation and implementation of the remaining Frontex Status Agreements 
is of great importance, as this will contribute to a stronger management of irregular migration, 
although  the  primary  responsibility  for  managing  their  respective  borders  remains  with  the 
Western Balkan countries. 

In  order  to  ensure  a  well-managed  migration  and  security  environment  as  the  underlying 
condition for the continuous fulfilment of the benchmarks, the Commission urges all visa-free 
countries to ensure their alignment with the EU’s visa policy. 

The Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries continued to take measures to prevent 
and  fight  against  organised  crime.  However,  efforts  need  to  be  sustained  and  further 
strengthened. Organised crime groups from these countries continue to be active in trafficking 
of illicit firearms and various illicit commodities (in particular drugs and tobacco), property 
crime,  motor  vehicle  crime,  money  laundering,  trafficking  in  human  beings20,  smuggling  of 
migrants and cybercrime. 

20 

Trafficking  in  human  beings  remains  a  highly  profitable  form  of  serious  and  organised  crime,  driven  by 
high  profits,  and  by  the  demand  that  fosters  all  forms  of  exploitation.  Trafficking  does  not  require  the 
crossing of borders, and a significant number of victims are trafficked within national borders, including in 
the EU. Efforts have been made on addressing trafficking in human beings. It remains key to ensure that all 
victims,  including  those  trafficked  within  national  borders,  have  access  to  appropriate  assistance  and 
support, taking into account that women and girls remain globally the majority of the victims, and mainly 

23 

 
 
                                                           
 
High-level corruption remains an issue in all countries covered by this report. As in previous 
years,  the  report  identified  the  need  for  Moldova  to  take  immediate  actions  as  a  matter  of 
urgency  to  ensure  the  fulfilment  of  the  anti-corruption  benchmark.  While  some  important 
actions were taken by the Government of former Prime Minister Maia Sandu, efforts need to 
be  implemented  and  sustained  by  the  new  Moldovan  Government.  The  reform  process  in 
Ukraine – particularly on anticorruption – is ongoing and further progress is expected. 

The  EU-Western  Balkans  Joint  Action  Plan  on  Counter-Terrorism  was  endorsed  on  5 
October  2018.  One  year  later  bilateral  arrangements  were  negotiated  and  signed  with  all 
Western  Balkans  partners.  These  bilateral  arrangements  are  an  important  milestone,  in 
addressing key priority security areas, including the prevention of all forms of radicalisation 
and violent extremism, and challenges posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters and their 
families. These should be now actively implemented. 

Implementation  of  the  visa  liberalisation  benchmarks  is  a  continuous  and  ongoing  process. 
Close monitoring will therefore continue, including through senior officials meetings as well 
as  through  the  regular  Justice,  Liberty  and  Security  subcommittee  meetings  and  dialogues 
between the EU and visa-free countries – and for the Western Balkans countries, the regular 
enlargement reports, including, where relevant, EU accession negotiations. 

trafficked  for  sexual  exploitation.  Prevention  must  remain  at  the  core  of  all  anti-trafficking  action, 
focussing on countering the culture of impunity for all perpetrators that fosters the crime. 

24