Reuters reported that the European Union is shutting down a border checkpoint scheme with Ukraine.
The project to upgrade six Ukrainian checkpoints on the EU’s eastern frontier was launched in 2014. The scheme aimed to help integrate Ukraine’s economy with those of its EU neighbors by building or modernizing checkpoints at crossings with Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.
According to the EU, the projects were designed to cut border crossing times and improve customs procedures.
As of the end of 2017, none of the six projects of checkpoints was completed, although the EU provided 29.2 million euros.
They foundered after a series of delays, missteps and cost overruns involving local officials and contractors, according to internal Ukrainian government correspondence, and correspondence between the European Commission and the Kyiv authorities provided by a source at a government body.
An EU spokesperson said: “Following our assessment we concluded that the projects could not be finalised in time. The 6 projects are now in the process of being closed, and the unspent money reimbursed.”
According to the initial agreements, the implementation of the project for the reconstruction of the checkpoint "Uzhgorod – Vysne Nemecke" started on April 1, 2013, and had to be completed in 33 months.
Photos of the current state of the main border crossing point to Slovakia were posted today by journalist Tetyana Leshko.
Залишити відгук
You must be logged in to post a comment.