Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, participated in an expert discussion on coordination and cooperation in the field of integrated border management (IBM).

Participants discussed priority thematic areas for border policy, how to avoid overlapping functions and effectively involve new stakeholders in the implementation of IBM objectives, how to improve cooperation between central and regional authorities to ensure the successful implementation of the new IBM Strategy, and which coordination approaches and practices should be retained or reconsidered in the development of the updated strategic document.

Iryna Sushko, an expert with the EU4IBM-Resilience project, highlighted the important role of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU in monitoring Ukraine’s implementation of the IBM Strategy. Between 2021 and 2024, Committee members conducted four field meetings, during which they visited the Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, and Romanian border sections. “In this case, the Committee fulfilled its oversight and monitoring function, while also engaging with the interagency working group on integrated border management. If I’m not mistaken, some Committee members also serve, by consent, as members of this interagency group. In that way, the Committee exerts a strong influence on the implementation of the strategy,” said Iryna Sushko.

Key issues raised during the Committee’s field visits included:
– the inclusiveness of border governance and the involvement of local authorities in IBM;
– the functioning of the interagency working group and coordination among all stakeholders;
– challenges related to “joint control” and strengthening cooperation with international partners, particularly between the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and Frontex;
– improving border crossing capacity through the development of border infrastructure;
– addressing border queue problems (both passenger and cargo), which were highlighted as top priorities in each Committee protocol;
– updating the Strategy and its action plan in line with EU integration requirements and the challenges posed by war.
“The Committee has demonstrated a practice worth continuing — namely, engaging with IBM not only through formal sessions but also through these field visits, which have served as an important platform for government stakeholders. Especially during the period when the interagency working group was inactive, these visits allowed participants to engage directly with communities, local authorities, international partners, and central government representatives,” noted Iryna Sushko.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze emphasized that since 2020, the Committee has maintained oversight and monitoring of both the IBM Strategy and the coordination work of the interagency group. She stressed the importance of ensuring systematic control over the implementation of integrated border management and called for improved cooperation between the government and local authorities in this field. She also noted that a new IBM Strategy is expected to be approved this summer. In her view, the accompanying action plan should include mechanisms for parliamentary oversight that would remain in place regardless of changes in the composition of the Verkhovna Rada or the Committee. This, she believes, must be institutionally anchored.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also drew attention to legislative gaps in areas such as forced return and the fight against cross-border crime, emphasizing that while these issues require government initiative, Parliament stands ready to contribute. “In my view, these are precisely the types of proposals that should originate from the government,” she said.

She noted that the European Commission’s Enlargement Report is an important instrument for monitoring, oversight, and self-assessment in IBM implementation. “The report for 2024 diplomatically points out that only two meetings of the interagency group were held during the year. I believe this gives us a clear direction — what we should take into account and how we can engage our European partners to jointly advance these issues with the support of the European Commission,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze concluded.