Communication: State of play and the possible ways forward as regards the situation of non-reciprocity with certain third countries in the area of visa policy

On 12 April 2016, the Commission presented a Communication on the state of play and the possible ways forward as regards the situation of non-reciprocity with certain third countries in the area of visa policy. In this Communication it was noted that with the active support of the Commission, the vast majority of the non-reciprocity cases notified with eight third countries have been solved. However, if the third country concerned has not lifted the visa requirement by 12 April 2016, Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 obliges the Commission to adopt a delegated act suspending for 12 months the visa waiver for nationals of that third country.

The Regulation also requires that the Commission takes into account the consequences of the suspension of the visa waiver for the external relations of the EU and its Member States. Therefore, the April Communication also highlighted the importance of full involvement of the European Parliament and of the Council in the application of the reciprocity mechanism and given the particularly sensitive political nature of the suspension of the visa waiver, assessed the consequences and impacts of the suspension of the visa waiver for nationals of the third countries concerned and invited the European Parliament and the Council to urgently launch discussions in light of the assessment provided and to take a position on the most appropriate way forward.

As a follow-up in July 2016 the Commission took stock of progress achieved between April and July and set out the next steps on how to achieve full visa reciprocity. It welcomed the achievement of full visa reciprocity with Brunei. In relation to Canada, the Commission looked forward to the EU-Canada Summit as the occasion to confirm tangible progress on the lifting of the visa requirement for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens. It also noted that the United States had not moved towards lifting of the visa requirement for Bulgarian, Croatian, Cypriot, Polish and Romanian citizens. The Commission committed itself to using all opportunities to continue to push for full visa reciprocity with Canada and the United States in coordination with the Member States concerned to accelerate the delivery of results, and to reporting on the further progress made before the end of the year.

This Communication takes stock of further progress achieved since July 2016 in discussions with the two remaining countries. In particular, the Communication reports on tangible progress achieved with Canada, the state of play on discussions with the United States, and sets out the next steps.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Visa reciprocity with the US and Canada: Commission reports on recent developments http://www.europeansources.info/record/visa-reciprocity-with-the-us-and-canada-commission-reports-on-recent-developments/

ESO: Background information: Debate on visa reciprocity between the United States and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/debate-on-visa-reciprocity-between-the-united-states-and-the-european-union/

---