Activites

• 2017/03/08 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2017/372
  • OJ L 061 08.03.2017, p. 0007
• 2017/03/01 Final act signed
• 2017/03/01 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2017/02/27 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
• 2017/02/02 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T8-0016/2017 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 553 votes to 66, with 28 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Georgia). The proposal aims to amend Regulation No 539/2001 and to transfer Georgia to Annex II, which establishes the list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the requirement to obtain visas in order to cross the external borders of the Member States. Parliament adopted its position at first reading, following the ordinary legislative proposal, taking over the Commission proposal. It was however stipulated in a recital that the continuous fulfilment by Georgia of the criteria for its citizens to be exempted from the visa requirement when travelling to the territory of Member States, especially on the fight against organised crime, will be duly monitored by the Commission.

• 2016/09/09 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A8-0260/2016 summary

    The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted a report by Mariya GABRIEL (EPP, BG) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Georgia). Parliament recommended the European Parliament to adopt its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal. The proposal aims to amend Regulation No 539/2001 and to transfer Georgia to Annex II, which establishes the list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the requirement to obtain visas in order to cross the external borders of the Member States. In the explanatory statement accompanying the report, it is stressed that Georgia is a strategic partner for the EU in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and in particular of the Eastern Partnership. The Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia signed in 2014 has brought relations to a new level by enhancing the cooperation in wide range of fields. The Association Agreement constitutes an integral part of the EU policy of a sequenced engagement with Georgia and its commitment to a close relationship that encompasses political association and economic integration. The Association Agreement intensified cooperation also by establishing a free trade area. As consequence trade with the EU has significantly increased and the EU became Georgia’s most important commercial partner, representing 30% of its exports. As regards the political and institutional situation, Georgia is relatively stable democracy. It may also become a key partner in the fight against organised crime, including trafficking in human beings, terrorism and corruption. In terms of mobility, the potential migratory and security challenges have to be considered given the fact that the EU remains an attractive destination for migrants from Georgia. According to the latest statistics by Eurostat in 2014 the number of entry refusals at the external borders of EU 28 decreased by 61% compared to 2013, and by 56.5% in 2015.

• 2016/09/05 Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
• 2016/09/05 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• #3477
• 2016/06/20 Council Meeting
  • 3477
• #3473
• 2016/06/10 Council Meeting
  • 3473
• #3465
• 2016/05/20 Council Meeting
  • 3465
• 2016/04/11 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2016/03/09 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2016)0142 summary

    PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 lists the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders of the Member States and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement. It is applied by all Member States for the exception of Ireland, the United Kingdom, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Georgia is currently listed in Annex I of the Regulation, i.e. among those countries whose nationals are required to hold a visa when travelling to the territory of EU Member States. The EU-Georgia Visa Liberalisation Dialogue was launched in June 2012. In February 2013, the European Commission presented the Georgian Government with an action plan on visa liberalisation (VLAP). The VLAP is structured around four 'blocks': document security, including biometrics (block I), migration and integrated border management, including asylum (block II), public order and security (block III), and external relations and fundamental rights (block IV). Before the start of the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue, the EU and Georgia had concluded in parallel a Visa Facilitation Agreement and a Readmission Agreement, which entered into force on 1 March 2011. Their full and effective implementation has been an underlying condition for the launch and the continuation of the visa dialogue. It is considered that Georgia has met all the benchmarks set out in the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan presented to the Georgian Government and therefore fulfils the relevant criteria for its citizens to be exempted from the visa requirement when travelling to the territory of EU Member States. CONTENT: the Commission proposes to amend Regulation (EC) No 539/2001, transferring Georgia from Annex I (list of visa-required countries) to Annex II (list of visa-free countries). It shall also be specified that the visa waiver will be limited to holders of biometric passports issued in line with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/', 'title': 'Migration and Home Affairs'}, AVRAMOPOULOS Dimitris

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2016)0142
• Debate in Council: 3465
• Debate in Council: 3473
• Debate in Council: 3477
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A8-0260/2016
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T8-0016/2017
• : Regulation 2017/372
• : OJ L 061 08.03.2017, p. 0007

Amendments

Dossier

11

2016/0075(COD) 2016/06/21 AFET 2 amendments... Amendment 1 # Georgios EPITIDEIOS Proposal for a regulation – The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, as the committee responsible, to propose rejection of the Commission proposal. Amendment 2 # Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER Proposal for a regulation – The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, as the committee responsible, to propose rejection of the Commission proposal. source: 585.464 2016/07/14 LIBE 9 amendments... Amendment 1 # Notis MARIAS Draft legislative resolution Citation 3 a (new) - having regard to the Protocol (No. 1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on the role of national Parliaments in the European Union, Amendment 2 # Notis MARIAS Draft legislative resolution Citation 3 b (new) - having regard to Protocol (No 2) to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, Amendment 3 # Beatrix von STORCH Draft legislative resolution Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Rejects the Commission proposal; Amendment 4 # Beatrix von STORCH Draft legislative resolution Paragraph 1 1. Adopts its position at first reading, taking overRejects the Commission proposal; Amendment 5 # Beatrix von STORCH Draft legislative resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Notes that a reliable entry and exit register and a practicable return mechanism must be in operation before any further visa liberalisation takes place; Amendment 6 # Beatrix von STORCH Draft legislative resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Takes the view that, given the continuing problematic situation in Georgia, which could also contribute to a lack of security in the issuing of travel documents, no further concessions can be made with regard to immigration control from Georgia to the EU, which would contribute to further security risks and uncertainty in the EU Member States; Amendment 7 # Beatrix von STORCH Draft legislative resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if account is taken of the totally different political situation since the criteria for the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan with Georgia were agreed, resulting from the migration crisis and other factors; Amendment 8 # Beatrix von STORCH Draft legislative resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;deleted Amendment 9 # Lorenzo FONTANA Proposal for a regulation Recital 3 (3) Georgia should thus be transferred from Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 to Annex II thereof. This visa waiver should applyies only to holders of biometric passports issued in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). source: 587.427

History

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