| 15 March Reforming the Ukrainian and Moldovan customs and border guards’ services will stay the key element for improvement of border control in 2007 for the EUBAM, told General Ferenc Banfi at a news conference held in Odessa, Ukraine on 13 March, after the Advisory Board Meeting. The participants in the meeting approved the 2007 EUBAM Activity Plan. The Activity Plan envisages improvement of standards of operation of the customs and border guards services, support for the anti-corruption strategy, optimisation of the risk analysis structures and consolidation of the integrated border control. General Banfi said that over the last year, the Mission ascertained improvement in all the fields of activity on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. Banfi specified that the most significant progress was made in counteracting illegal border crossings, developing risk analysis capacities and the intensification of interagency co-operation and complementarity. Likewise, he highlighted that additional measures are necessary to upgrade the border control system. Participating in the event, EU Special Representative for Moldova Kalman Mizsei said that EUBAM contributes to heightening cooperation between the Moldovan and Ukrainian customs and border guards services. He specified that the Mission's activity, streamlined towards customs and border guards control and based on European procedures, helps Transnistria-situated enterprises register legally and drive their activities closer to the European standards. The activity of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine was launched in November 2005 and is planned for about two years. The Mission's budget is of 20.2 million euros until November 2007.
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