Regulation (EU) 2021/1133 amending Regulations (EU) No 603/2013, (EU) 2016/794, (EU) 2018/1862, (EU) 2019/816 and (EU) 2019/818 as regards the establishment of the conditions for accessing other EU information systems for the purposes of the Visa Information System

Summary:

Regulation (EU) 2021/1133 - formally adopted by the European Union on 7 July 2021 - introducing amendments to a number of Regulations as regards the establishment of the conditions for accessing other EU information systems for the purposes of the Visa Information System (VIS).

Further information:

The Visa Information System (VIS)  is a database to facilitating the short-stay visa procedure. It helps visa, border, asylum and migration authorities to check third-country nationals who need a short-stay visa to travel to the Schengen area. It connects member states' consulates around the world, as well as all external border crossing points.

This Regulation introduces amendments aimed at further strengthening the security of short-stay visa procedure, including long-stay visas and residence permits in the VIS database, and ensuring interoperability between this database and other relevant EU systems and databases.

The draft law was tabled by the European Commission on 16 May 2018 as part of wider reforms to the European Union's visa policy, as laid out in the Commission's 2018 Communication. Member State representatives adopted a general approach on behalf of the Council of the European Union on 19 December. The plenary of the European Parliament adopted a negotiating position in March 2019. An informal agreement between the co-legislators on a compromise text concerning this file was generally reached on 8 December 2020. This was formally endorsed by the Council on 27 May 2021 and by the Parliament's plenary on 6 July. The Act was signed by the co-legislators on 7 July 2021 and published in the Official Journal on 13 July 2021.

• Primary Source

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2018)302: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2018:302:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2018)195: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact assessment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2018:195:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2018)196: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive summary of the impact assessment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2018:196:FIN

EUR-LEX: COM(2021)303: Communication concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EC) No 810/2009, (EU) 2016/399, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240, (EU) 2018/1860, (EU) 2018/1861, (EU) 2019/817 and (EU) 2019/1896 and repealing Council Decisions 2004/512/EC and 2008/633/JHA, for the purpose of reforming the Visa Information System, and a Regulation amending Regulations (EU) 603/2013, 2016/794, 2018/1862, 2019/816 and 2019/818 as regards the establishment of the conditions for accessing other EU information systems for VIS purposes https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2018:302:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Train Schedule: New Regulation on the Visa Information System (VIS) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-promoting-our-european-way-of-life/file-new-regulation-on-the-visa-information-system-(vis)

European Commission: DG Migration and Home Affairs: Visa Information System (VIS) https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-information-system_en

European Commission: Press Release, 16/05/2018: EU Visa Policy: Commission upgrades the Visa Information System to better secure the EU's external borders https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_18_3741

European Commission: Remarks by Commissioner Avramopoulos on managing migration and on upgrading the EU Visa Information System (16 May 2018) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_18_3828

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 19/12/2018: Visa Information System: Council agrees negotiating mandate to strengthen the system https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/12/19/visa-information-system-council-agrees-negotiating-mandate-to-strengthen-the-system/

European Parliament: Press Release, 08/12/2020: Deal on an enhanced information system for visas in the EU https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201208IPR93304/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 27/05/2021: Visa information system: Council adopts regulation to strengthen checks of visa applicants https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/05/27/visa-information-system-council-adopts-regulation-to-strengthen-checks-of-visa-applicants/

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