BETA


2011/2053(DCE) Declaration on the restoration of reciprocity in the visa regime - solidarity with the unequal status of Czech citizens following the unilateral introduction of visas by Canada

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 136_

Events

2011/03/08
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted a Declaration on the restoration of reciprocity in the visa regime – solidarity with the unequal status of Czech citizens following the unilateral introduction of visas by Canada.

The European Parliament recalls that in July 2009 Canada unilaterally imposed a visa requirement for citizens of the Czech Republic, whose status is now therefore unequal to that of other citizens in the EU, and Canada, despite repeated calls to do so, has not given a date on which it will abolish this visa requirement. It states that a further delay in the termination of the unequal status of Czech citizens could threaten the future ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada.

It considers that the Czech Republic cannot autonomously introduce a visa requirement for Canadian citizens and that overall the Commission and Council are not acting with sufficient forcibility in this matter.

Members call on the Commission and Council to increase political pressure on Canada in order to set the earliest possible date for abolishing the visa regime for Czech citizens as well as ending other breaches of visa reciprocity towards citizens of Bulgaria and Romania. It emphasises that unless this breach of reciprocity is resolved soon, equivalent retaliatory measures by the EU are likely to follow.

Lastly, Parliament calls on the Commission to establish, rather than bilateral arrangements, a new mechanism that guarantees full visa reciprocity for all Member States while ensuring that if a non-EU country breaches that visa reciprocity, all Member States will immediately restore the visa requirement for nationals of that country.

Documents
2011/03/08
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

events/0
date
2011-03-08T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-7-2011-0087_EN.html title: T7-0087/2011
summary
events/0
date
2011-03-08T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-7-2011-0087_EN.html title: T7-0087/2011
summary
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 136_
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 136
events/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2011-87
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-7-2011-0087_EN.html
activities
  • date: 2011-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2011-87 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0087/2011 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
committees
    events
    • date: 2011-03-08T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2011-87 title: T7-0087/2011 summary: The European Parliament adopted a Declaration on the restoration of reciprocity in the visa regime – solidarity with the unequal status of Czech citizens following the unilateral introduction of visas by Canada. The European Parliament recalls that in July 2009 Canada unilaterally imposed a visa requirement for citizens of the Czech Republic, whose status is now therefore unequal to that of other citizens in the EU, and Canada, despite repeated calls to do so, has not given a date on which it will abolish this visa requirement. It states that a further delay in the termination of the unequal status of Czech citizens could threaten the future ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada. It considers that the Czech Republic cannot autonomously introduce a visa requirement for Canadian citizens and that overall the Commission and Council are not acting with sufficient forcibility in this matter. Members call on the Commission and Council to increase political pressure on Canada in order to set the earliest possible date for abolishing the visa regime for Czech citizens as well as ending other breaches of visa reciprocity towards citizens of Bulgaria and Romania. It emphasises that unless this breach of reciprocity is resolved soon, equivalent retaliatory measures by the EU are likely to follow. Lastly, Parliament calls on the Commission to establish, rather than bilateral arrangements, a new mechanism that guarantees full visa reciprocity for all Member States while ensuring that if a non-EU country breaches that visa reciprocity, all Member States will immediately restore the visa requirement for nationals of that country.
    • date: 2011-03-08T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/geographical_area/0
      Czechia
      procedure/geographical_area/0
      Czech Republic
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 136
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 136
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 7.10.04 External borders crossing and controls, visas
      New
      7.10.04
      External borders crossing and controls, visas
      procedure/type
      Old
      DCE - Written declaration
      New
      DCE - Written declaration (historic)
      activities
      • date: 2011-03-08T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2011-87 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0087/2011 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 136
          reference
          2011/2053(DCE)
          title
          Declaration on the restoration of reciprocity in the visa regime - solidarity with the unequal status of Czech citizens following the unilateral introduction of visas by Canada
          geographical_area
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          type
          DCE - Written declaration
          subject
          7.10.04 External borders crossing and controls, visas