Interinstitutional talks between the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Parliament on EU visa liberalization for Ukraine have ended successfully, according to an UNIAN correspondent in Brussels.
”The Council of the EU, the European Parliament, and the European Commission have made a decision to grant a visa-free regime to Ukraine. On Thursday, the decision is to be confirmed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives from Member States (COREPER),” Ukraine`s Mission to the EU told UNIAN on Tuesday evening.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has welcomed the finalization of the trialogue.
”[I] welcome [the] finalization of [the] trialogue [of] Council-Commission-Parliament on visa free regime with the EU. [It`s an] important step on the road to a decision that is long-awaited in Ukraine! Now it`s time for [the] EU Council and the European Parliament to decide,” he tweeted.
In keeping with the procedure, the decision should be voted by the European Parliament`s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, following which it should be put to the vote at an EP plenary meeting and endorsed at a meeting of the Council of the EU. The document should be signed by the EP President and Council representatives. Then the Official Journal of the European Union will publish it for the decision to become effective 20 days later.
On February 27, the Council of the EU approved the EU visa waiver suspension mechanism with third countries, which was needed for visa liberalization with Ukraine, among other countries.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said on February 10 that Ukrainians would be able to travel to the EU without visas as early as this summer.
