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2015/0293(NLE) EU/China Agreement: short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead LIBE VALERO Bodil (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE) SARVAMAA Petri (icon: PPE PPE), BEŇOVÁ Monika (icon: S&D S&D), DALTON Daniel (icon: ECR ECR), HYUSMENOVA Filiz (icon: ALDE ALDE), VON STORCH Beatrix (icon: EFDD EFDD)
Committee Opinion AFET
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
TFEU 077-p2, TFEU 218-p6

Events

2016/11/24
   Final act published in Official Journal
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2016/2044 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

CONTENT: under this Decision, the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports is approved on behalf of the Union.

As a reminder, the Commission negotiated, on behalf of the European Union, an agreement with China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The Agreement was signed and has been applied on a provisional basis since 3 March 2016.

The Agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

A Joint Committee of experts for the management of the Agreement has been set up under this Agreement. The Union is to be represented within that Joint Committee by the Commission, which should be assisted by the representatives of the Member States.

This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom does not take part. Therefore, these two countries are not bound by it or subject to its application.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 18.11.2016.

Documents
Decision 2016/2044
OJ L 318 24.11.2016, p. 0001
2016/10/25
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
Documents
Results of vote in Parliament
2016/10/25
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 611 votes to 51, with 28 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

In line with the recommendation made by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Parliament gave its consent to conclusion of the agreement.

The agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party, for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.

Documents
T8-0393/2016
2016/10/25
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2016/10/05
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

The committee recommended Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of the agreement .

In brief, the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party, for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.

The report is accompanied by a short justification stressing that the significance of visa liberalisation is considerable as it brings tangible benefits.

The fact that the proposed Agreement also covers, for the first time, the holders of European Union's "laissez-passer" has been welcomed.

The rapporteur hoped that the visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports represents a step forward in the establishment of full reciprocal visa waiver for holders of ordinary passports . It will facilitate people-to-people contact – an essential condition for the steady development of economic, cultural, scientific and other ties as well as it will intensify contacts between people. Visa liberalisation should go hand-in-hand with improvements in respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The rapporteur also queried the practice of signing visa waiver agreements and applying them provisionally before the European Parliament has approved them . This practice is liable to reduce Parliament’s room for manoeuvre. Moreover, this is all the more problematic because Parliament is not informed about them as the bilateral negotiations progress, which is in potential breach of Treaty provisions (art 218) and the current Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission.

Documents
A8-0281/2016
2016/10/03
   EP - Vote in committee
2016/06/23
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
PE584.017
2016/03/16
   EP - VALERO Bodil (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2016/03/10
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2016/02/12
   CSL - Council Meeting
2016/01/26
   CSL - Legislative proposal
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: the Commission has negotiated on behalf of the European Union an agreement with China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The Agreement should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Decision seeks approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

The agreement provides for visa-free travel of a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom and Ireland shall not take part and shall not be bound by it or subject to its application.

For details about the content of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal of 15.12.2015.

Documents
15470/2015
2016/01/26
   CSL - Document attached to the procedure
Documents
15469/2015
2016/01/25
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: the Commission has negotiated on behalf of the European Union an agreement with China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The Agreement should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Decision seeks approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

The agreement provides for visa-free travel of a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom and Ireland shall not take part and shall not be bound by it or subject to its application.

For details about the content of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal of 15.12.2015.

Documents
15470/2015
2015/12/15
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
Documents
COM(2015)0645
EUR-Lex
2015/12/15
   EP - Preparatory document
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: China is among those countries whose nationals are required to hold a visa when travelling to the Schengen area. EU citizens also need a visa to enter China.

In the context of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue established in October 2013, the European Union and China agreed on a cooperation package comprising measures in the area of irregular migration and visa policy that would be negotiated or implemented in two interdependent phases:

in the first phase, a reciprocal visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports would be negotiated and Member States would be authorised by the Chinese authorities to open visa application centres in 15 designated Chinese cities; in the second phase, both sides would negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements.

On 14 September 2015 the Council authorised the opening of negotiations with China for a short-stay visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports and addressed negotiating directives to the Commission. The negotiations were opened on 21 September. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council approve the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

The main provisions of the proposal may be summarised as follows:

Purpose and scope : the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

A provision has been included in the agreement stating that China may suspend or terminate the agreement only in respect of all the Member States of the European Union and that the Union may also only suspend or terminate the agreement in respect of all of its Member States.

The Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom and Ireland are therefore not taking part in the adoption of the Decision and are not bound by it or subject to its application.

Duration of stay : the agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

The agreement takes into account the situation of the Member States that do not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full. As long as these Member States ((currently Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) are not part of the Schengen area without internal borders, the visa waiver confers a right for the Chinese holders of diplomatic passports to stay for 90 days in any 180-day period on the territory of each of those Member States, independently of the period calculated for the whole Schengen area.

Visits by high officials: the agreement stipulates that officials at or above vice-ministerial level of the central government and officers of or above the rank of major general of the armed forces must inform the competent authorities of the country to be visited through diplomatic channels before they travel to its territory for official purposes.

Exchange of specimens : the agreement provides for the exchange of specimens of diplomatic passports and the EU laissez-passer no later than 90 days after the date of signature of the agreement.

Territorial application: the agreement clarifies that the visa waiver for Chinese holders of diplomatic passports only applies to the European territories of France and the Netherlands.

Joint declarations : a joint declaration on the interpretation of the period of 90 days in any 180-day period is attached to the agreement. In addition to the joint declaration, two other joint declarations are attached to the agreement regarding:

the association of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis; the relationship of this agreement to other fields of cooperation in the framework of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue.

The agreement establishes a Joint Committee for the management of the agreement whose tasks include, among others, the monitoring of its implementation as well as suggesting amendments or additions.

Documents
COM(2015)0643
EUR-Lex

Documents

Activities

Votes

A8-0281/2016 - Bodil Valero - Approbation #

2016/10/25 Outcome: +: 611, -: 51, 0: 28
DE IT ES PL FR RO PT NL HU CZ BE EL BG SE GB FI SK DK AT LT SI HR LV IE CY LU MT EE
Total
90
68
50
49
70
27
21
25
19
19
19
20
15
18
66
13
12
10
17
8
8
7
7
10
6
5
5
5
icon: PPE PPE
201

Germany PPE

34

Italy PPE

13

Spain PPE

15

Poland PPE

22

France PPE

18

Romania PPE

11

Portugal PPE

7

Netherlands PPE

5

Hungary PPE

12

Czechia PPE

Abstain (1)

Jaromír ŠTĚTINA
7

Belgium PPE

4

Greece PPE

4

Bulgaria PPE

7

Sweden PPE

3

Finland PPE

3

Slovakia PPE

5

Denmark PPE

For (1)

Bendt BENDTSEN
1

Austria PPE

5

Lithuania PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

5

Croatia PPE

2

Latvia PPE

4

Ireland PPE

4

Cyprus PPE

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Malta PPE

3

Estonia PPE

For (1)

Tunne KELAM
1
icon: S&D S&D
175

Germany S&D

25

Italy S&D

28

Spain S&D

12

Poland S&D

5

France S&D

13

Romania S&D

11

Portugal S&D

8

Netherlands S&D

3

Hungary S&D

4

Czechia S&D

3

Belgium S&D

4

Greece S&D

4

Bulgaria S&D

3

Sweden S&D

5

United Kingdom S&D

21

Finland S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

4

Denmark S&D

3

Austria S&D

5

Lithuania S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

Tanja FAJON
1

Croatia S&D

For (1)

Biljana BORZAN
1

Latvia S&D

1

Ireland S&D

For (1)

Nessa CHILDERS
1

Cyprus S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

Mady DELVAUX
1

Malta S&D

2

Estonia S&D

For (1)

Marju LAURISTIN
1
icon: ALDE ALDE
61

Germany ALDE

4

Spain ALDE

8

France ALDE

6

Romania ALDE

3

Portugal ALDE

2

Netherlands ALDE

7

Czechia ALDE

4

Belgium ALDE

4

Bulgaria ALDE

3

Sweden ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Finland ALDE

4

Denmark ALDE

3

Lithuania ALDE

2

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

Ivo VAJGL
1

Croatia ALDE

2

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

Marian HARKIN
1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

Charles GOERENS
1

Estonia ALDE

For (1)

Kaja KALLAS

Abstain (1)

Urmas PAET
2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
48

Germany Verts/ALE

12

Spain Verts/ALE

4

France Verts/ALE

6

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Hungary Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

4

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

6

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

Heidi HAUTALA
1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

Margrete AUKEN
1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

Bronis ROPĖ
1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

Igor ŠOLTES
1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

Davor ŠKRLEC
1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

Indrek TARAND
1
icon: ECR ECR
67

Germany ECR

6

Italy ECR

2

Poland ECR

18

Romania ECR

Against (1)

Monica MACOVEI
1

Netherlands ECR

2

Czechia ECR

2

Belgium ECR

4

Greece ECR

Against (1)

Notis MARIAS
1

Bulgaria ECR

2

United Kingdom ECR

19

Finland ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

3

Denmark ECR

2

Croatia ECR

For (1)

Ruža TOMAŠIĆ
1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

Roberts ZĪLE
1

Cyprus ECR

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
48

Germany GUE/NGL

6

Italy GUE/NGL

3

Spain GUE/NGL

11

France GUE/NGL

4

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

Czechia GUE/NGL

2

Greece GUE/NGL

6

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

Malin BJÖRK
1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

Martina ANDERSON
1

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

Merja KYLLÖNEN
1

Ireland GUE/NGL

4

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: NI NI
11

Germany NI

For (1)

Udo VOIGT
1

Poland NI

1

France NI

Abstain (1)

Bruno GOLLNISCH
2

Hungary NI

For (1)

Zoltán BALCZÓ
1

Greece NI

5

United Kingdom NI

Abstain (1)

Diane DODDS
1
icon: EFDD EFDD
40

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

Beatrix von STORCH
1

Italy EFDD

17

Poland EFDD

1

France EFDD

1

Czechia EFDD

For (1)

Petr MACH
1

Sweden EFDD

2

United Kingdom EFDD

16

Lithuania EFDD

For (1)

Rolandas PAKSAS
1
icon: ENF ENF
38

Germany ENF

Against (1)

Marcus PRETZELL
1

Italy ENF

5

Poland ENF

2

France ENF

20

Romania ENF

1

Netherlands ENF

3

Belgium ENF

Against (1)

Gerolf ANNEMANS
1

United Kingdom ENF

Against (1)

Janice ATKINSON
1

Austria ENF

4

History

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

2023-08-03Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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2021-12-18Show (9) Changes | Timetravel
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Rules of Procedure EP 159
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Rules of Procedure EP 159
2020-01-19Show (6) Changes | Timetravel
committees/0
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2019-07-06Show (16) Changes | Timetravel
activities
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  • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Economic and Financial Affairs ECOFIN meeting_id: 3445 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=3445*&MEET_DATE=12/02/2016 date: 2016-02-12T00:00:00
docs
  • date: 2015-12-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2015/0645/COM_COM(2015)0645(ANN)_EN.pdf title: COM(2015)0645 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2015&nu_doc=0645 title: EUR-Lex type: Document attached to the procedure body: EC
  • date: 2016-01-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=15469%2F15&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC title: 15469/2015 type: Document attached to the procedure body: CSL
  • date: 2016-06-23T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE584.017 title: PE584.017 type: Committee draft report body: EP
events
  • date: 2015-12-15T00:00:00 type: Initial legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2015/0643/COM_COM(2015)0643(ANN)_EN.pdf title: COM(2015)0643 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2015&nu_doc=0643 title: EUR-Lex summary: PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: China is among those countries whose nationals are required to hold a visa when travelling to the Schengen area. EU citizens also need a visa to enter China. In the context of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue established in October 2013, the European Union and China agreed on a cooperation package comprising measures in the area of irregular migration and visa policy that would be negotiated or implemented in two interdependent phases: in the first phase, a reciprocal visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports would be negotiated and Member States would be authorised by the Chinese authorities to open visa application centres in 15 designated Chinese cities; in the second phase, both sides would negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements. On 14 September 2015 the Council authorised the opening of negotiations with China for a short-stay visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports and addressed negotiating directives to the Commission. The negotiations were opened on 21 September. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015. CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council approve the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The main provisions of the proposal may be summarised as follows: Purpose and scope : the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party. A provision has been included in the agreement stating that China may suspend or terminate the agreement only in respect of all the Member States of the European Union and that the Union may also only suspend or terminate the agreement in respect of all of its Member States. The Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom and Ireland are therefore not taking part in the adoption of the Decision and are not bound by it or subject to its application. Duration of stay : the agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period. The agreement takes into account the situation of the Member States that do not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full. As long as these Member States ((currently Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) are not part of the Schengen area without internal borders, the visa waiver confers a right for the Chinese holders of diplomatic passports to stay for 90 days in any 180-day period on the territory of each of those Member States, independently of the period calculated for the whole Schengen area. Visits by high officials: the agreement stipulates that officials at or above vice-ministerial level of the central government and officers of or above the rank of major general of the armed forces must inform the competent authorities of the country to be visited through diplomatic channels before they travel to its territory for official purposes. Exchange of specimens : the agreement provides for the exchange of specimens of diplomatic passports and the EU laissez-passer no later than 90 days after the date of signature of the agreement. Territorial application: the agreement clarifies that the visa waiver for Chinese holders of diplomatic passports only applies to the European territories of France and the Netherlands. Joint declarations : a joint declaration on the interpretation of the period of 90 days in any 180-day period is attached to the agreement. In addition to the joint declaration, two other joint declarations are attached to the agreement regarding: the association of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis; the relationship of this agreement to other fields of cooperation in the framework of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue. The agreement establishes a Joint Committee for the management of the agreement whose tasks include, among others, the monitoring of its implementation as well as suggesting amendments or additions.
  • date: 2016-01-26T00:00:00 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=15470%2F15&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC title: 15470/2015 summary: PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: the Commission has negotiated on behalf of the European Union an agreement with China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The Agreement should now be approved. CONTENT: the draft Decision seeks approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The agreement provides for visa-free travel of a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party. This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom and Ireland shall not take part and shall not be bound by it or subject to its application. For details about the content of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal of 15.12.2015.
  • date: 2016-03-10T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2016-10-03T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2016-10-05T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2016-0281&language=EN title: A8-0281/2016 summary: The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Bodil VALERO (Greens/EFA, SE) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The committee recommended Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of the agreement . In brief, the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party, for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015. The report is accompanied by a short justification stressing that the significance of visa liberalisation is considerable as it brings tangible benefits. The fact that the proposed Agreement also covers, for the first time, the holders of European Union's "laissez-passer" has been welcomed. The rapporteur hoped that the visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports represents a step forward in the establishment of full reciprocal visa waiver for holders of ordinary passports . It will facilitate people-to-people contact – an essential condition for the steady development of economic, cultural, scientific and other ties as well as it will intensify contacts between people. Visa liberalisation should go hand-in-hand with improvements in respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The rapporteur also queried the practice of signing visa waiver agreements and applying them provisionally before the European Parliament has approved them . This practice is liable to reduce Parliament’s room for manoeuvre. Moreover, this is all the more problematic because Parliament is not informed about them as the bilateral negotiations progress, which is in potential breach of Treaty provisions (art 218) and the current Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission.
  • date: 2016-10-25T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=27628&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2016-10-25T00:00:00 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=P8-TA-2016-0393 title: T8-0393/2016 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 611 votes to 51, with 28 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. In line with the recommendation made by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Parliament gave its consent to conclusion of the agreement. The agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party, for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.
  • date: 2016-10-25T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2016-11-24T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal summary: PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2016/2044 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the People's Republic of China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. CONTENT: under this Decision, the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports is approved on behalf of the Union. As a reminder, the Commission negotiated, on behalf of the European Union, an agreement with China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The Agreement was signed and has been applied on a provisional basis since 3 March 2016. The Agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party. A Joint Committee of experts for the management of the Agreement has been set up under this Agreement. The Union is to be represented within that Joint Committee by the Commission, which should be assisted by the representatives of the Member States. This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom does not take part. Therefore, these two countries are not bound by it or subject to its application. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 18.11.2016. docs: title: Decision 2016/2044 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32016D2044 title: OJ L 318 24.11.2016, p. 0001 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2016:318:TOC
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  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/ title: Migration and Home Affairs commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 150
New
Rules of Procedure EP 159
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LIBE/8/05346
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  • LIBE/8/05346
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OJ L 318 24.11.2016, p. 0001
New
Decision 2016/2044
procedure/final/url
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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2016:318:TOC
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32016D2044
procedure/subject
Old
  • 6.10.01 Foreign and common diplomatic policy
  • 7.10.04 External borders crossing and controls, visas
New
6.10.01
Foreign and common diplomatic policy
7.10.04
External borders crossing and controls, visas
2016-12-02Show (3) Changes | Timetravel
activities/7
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2016-11-24T00:00:00
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Final act published in Official Journal
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Old
Procedure completed, awaiting publication in Official Journal
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Procedure completed
2016-11-22Show (7) Changes | Timetravel
activities/5/docs
  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2016-0281&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A8-0281/2016
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  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2016-0393 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T8-0393/2016
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2016-10-08Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
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2016-10-07Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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2016-10-06Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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2016-09-30Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
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2016-06-16Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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group
EFD
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VON STORCH Beatrix
committees/1/shadows/5
group
EFD
name
VON STORCH Beatrix
2016-04-23Show (8) Changes | Timetravel
activities/4/committees/1/shadows/0
group
EPP
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SARVAMAA Petri
activities/4/committees/1/shadows/1
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S&D
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FLAŠÍKOVÁ BEŇOVÁ Monika
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DALTON Daniel
committees/1/shadows/3
group
ALDE
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HYUSMENOVA Filiz
2016-04-21Show (4) Changes | Timetravel
activities/4/committees/1/date
2016-03-16T00:00:00
activities/4/committees/1/rapporteur
  • group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil
committees/1/date
2016-03-16T00:00:00
committees/1/rapporteur
  • group: Verts/ALE name: VALERO Bodil
2016-03-30Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
activities/1/docs/0/text

  • PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

    ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

    BACKGROUND: the Commission has negotiated on behalf of the European Union an agreement with China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. The Agreement should now be approved.

    CONTENT: the draft Decision seeks approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    The agreement provides for visa-free travel of a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

    This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom and Ireland shall not take part and shall not be bound by it or subject to its application.

    For details about the content of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal of 15.12.2015.
2016-03-17Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
activities/0/docs/0/text

  • PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

    ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

    BACKGROUND: China is among those countries whose nationals are required to hold a visa when travelling to the Schengen area. EU citizens also need a visa to enter China.

    In the context of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue established in October 2013, the European Union and China agreed on a cooperation package comprising measures in the area of irregular migration and visa policy that would be negotiated or implemented in two interdependent phases:

    • in the first phase, a reciprocal visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports would be negotiated and Member States would be authorised by the Chinese authorities to open visa application centres in 15 designated Chinese cities;
    • in the second phase, both sides would negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements.

    On 14 September 2015 the Council authorised the opening of negotiations with China for a short-stay visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports and addressed negotiating directives to the Commission. The negotiations were opened on 21 September. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.

    CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council approve the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    The main provisions of the proposal may be summarised as follows:

    Purpose and scope: the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

    A provision has been included in the agreement stating that China may suspend or terminate the agreement only in respect of all the Member States of the European Union and that the Union may also only suspend or terminate the agreement in respect of all of its Member States.

    The Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom and Ireland are therefore not taking part in the adoption of the Decision and are not bound by it or subject to its application.

    Duration of stay: the agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

    The agreement takes into account the situation of the Member States that do not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full. As long as these Member States ((currently Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) are not part of the Schengen area without internal borders, the visa waiver confers a right for the Chinese holders of diplomatic passports to stay for 90 days in any 180-day period on the territory of each of those Member States, independently of the period calculated for the whole Schengen area.

    Visits by high officials: the agreement stipulates that officials at or above vice-ministerial level of the central government and officers of or above the rank of major general of the armed forces must inform the competent authorities of the country to be visited through diplomatic channels before they travel to its territory for official purposes.

    Exchange of specimens: the agreement provides for the exchange of specimens of diplomatic passports and the EU laissez-passer no later than 90 days after the date of signature of the agreement.

    Territorial application: the agreement clarifies that the visa waiver for Chinese holders of diplomatic passports only applies to the European territories of France and the Netherlands.

    Joint declarations: a joint declaration on the interpretation of the period of 90 days in any 180-day period is attached to the agreement. In addition to the joint declaration, two other joint declarations are attached to the agreement regarding:

    • the association of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis;
    • the relationship of this agreement to other fields of cooperation in the framework of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue.

    The agreement establishes a Joint Committee for the management of the agreement whose tasks include, among others, the monitoring of its implementation as well as suggesting amendments or additions.

2016-03-15Show (3) Changes | Timetravel
activities/4
date
2016-03-10T00:00:00
body
EP
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Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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LIBE/8/05346
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision
2016-03-05Show (4) Changes | Timetravel
activities/0/docs/0/text

  • PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

    ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

    BACKGROUND: China is among those countries whose nationals are required to hold a visa when travelling to the Schengen area. EU citizens also need a visa to enter China.

    In the context of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue established in October 2013, the European Union and China agreed on a cooperation package comprising measures in the area of irregular migration and visa policy that would be negotiated or implemented in two interdependent phases:

    • in the first phase, a reciprocal visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports would be negotiated and Member States would be authorised by the Chinese authorities to open visa application centres in 15 designated Chinese cities;
    • in the second phase, both sides would negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements.

    On 14 September 2015 the Council authorised the opening of negotiations with China for a short-stay visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports and addressed negotiating directives to the Commission. The negotiations were opened on 21 September. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.

    CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council approve the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    The main provisions of the proposal may be summarised as follows:

    Purpose and scope: the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

    A provision has been included in the agreement stating that China may suspend or terminate the agreement only in respect of all the Member States of the European Union and that the Union may also only suspend or terminate the agreement in respect of all of its Member States.

    The Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom and Ireland are therefore not taking part in the adoption of the Decision and are not bound by it or subject to its application.

    Duration of stay: the agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

    The agreement takes into account the situation of the Member States that do not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full. As long as these Member States ((currently Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) are not part of the Schengen area without internal borders, the visa waiver confers a right for the Chinese holders of diplomatic passports to stay for 90 days in any 180-day period on the territory of each of those Member States, independently of the period calculated for the whole Schengen area.

    Visits by high officials: the agreement stipulates that officials at or above vice-ministerial level of the central government and officers of or above the rank of major general of the armed forces must inform the competent authorities of the country to be visited through diplomatic channels before they travel to its territory for official purposes.

    Exchange of specimens: the agreement provides for the exchange of specimens of diplomatic passports and the EU laissez-passer no later than 90 days after the date of signature of the agreement.

    Territorial application: the agreement clarifies that the visa waiver for Chinese holders of diplomatic passports only applies to the European territories of France and the Netherlands.

    Joint declarations: a joint declaration on the interpretation of the period of 90 days in any 180-day period is attached to the agreement. In addition to the joint declaration, two other joint declarations are attached to the agreement regarding:

    • the association of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis;
    • the relationship of this agreement to other fields of cooperation in the framework of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue.

    The agreement establishes a Joint Committee for the management of the agreement whose tasks include, among others, the monitoring of its implementation as well as suggesting amendments or additions.
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DG: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/ title: Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner: AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
2016-02-24Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
committees/1/shadows
  • group: GUE/NGL name: VERGIAT Marie-Christine
2016-02-17Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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2016-02-12T00:00:00
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2016-01-13Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
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Commissioner
AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
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dg
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AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris
2016-01-12Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
activities/0/docs/0/text

  • PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

    ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

    BACKGROUND: China is among those countries whose nationals are required to hold a visa when travelling to the Schengen area. EU citizens also need a visa to enter China.

    In the context of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue established in October 2013, the European Union and China agreed on a cooperation package comprising measures in the area of irregular migration and visa policy that would be negotiated or implemented in two interdependent phases:

    • in the first phase, a reciprocal visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports would be negotiated and Member States would be authorised by the Chinese authorities to open visa application centres in 15 designated Chinese cities;
    • in the second phase, both sides would negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements.

    On 14 September 2015 the Council authorised the opening of negotiations with China for a short-stay visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic passports and addressed negotiating directives to the Commission. The negotiations were opened on 21 September. The agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators of the EU and China respectively on 3 and 4 November 2015.

    CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council approve the Agreement between the European Union and China on the short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

    The main provisions of the proposal may be summarised as follows:

    Purpose and scope: the agreement provides for visa-free travel for citizens of the European Union holding a valid diplomatic passport or an EU laissez-passer and for citizens of China holding a valid diplomatic passport when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party.

    A provision has been included in the agreement stating that China may suspend or terminate the agreement only in respect of all the Member States of the European Union and that the Union may also only suspend or terminate the agreement in respect of all of its Member States.

    The Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom and Ireland are therefore not taking part in the adoption of the Decision and are not bound by it or subject to its application.

    Duration of stay: the agreement provides for visa-free travel for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.

    The agreement takes into account the situation of the Member States that do not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full. As long as these Member States ((currently Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) are not part of the Schengen area without internal borders, the visa waiver confers a right for the Chinese holders of diplomatic passports to stay for 90 days in any 180-day period on the territory of each of those Member States, independently of the period calculated for the whole Schengen area.

    Visits by high officials: the agreement stipulates that officials at or above vice-ministerial level of the central government and officers of or above the rank of major general of the armed forces must inform the competent authorities of the country to be visited through diplomatic channels before they travel to its territory for official purposes.

    Exchange of specimens: the agreement provides for the exchange of specimens of diplomatic passports and the EU laissez-passer no later than 90 days after the date of signature of the agreement.

    Territorial application: the agreement clarifies that the visa waiver for Chinese holders of diplomatic passports only applies to the European territories of France and the Netherlands.

    Joint declarations: a joint declaration on the interpretation of the period of 90 days in any 180-day period is attached to the agreement. In addition to the joint declaration, two other joint declarations are attached to the agreement regarding:

    • the association of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis;
    • the relationship of this agreement to other fields of cooperation in the framework of the EU-China Mobility and Migration Dialogue.

    The agreement establishes a Joint Committee for the management of the agreement whose tasks include, among others, the monitoring of its implementation as well as suggesting amendments or additions.
2015-12-19Show (5) Changes
activities
  • date: 2015-12-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2015/0643/COM_COM(2015)0643(ANN)_EN.pdf celexid: CELEX:52015PC0643:EN type: Legislative proposal published title: COM(2015)0643 body: EC type: Legislative proposal published commission:
committees
  • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Foreign Affairs committee: AFET
  • body: EP responsible: True committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee: LIBE
links
other
    procedure
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    China
    reference
    2015/0293(NLE)
    title
    EU/China Agreement: short-stay visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports
    legal_basis
    stage_reached
    Preparatory phase in Parliament
    subtype
    Consent by Parliament
    type
    NLE - Non-legislative enactments
    subject
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