Brussels, 25/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - At their meeting in Brussels on Thursday 24 February, the home affairs ministers of the EU adopted the agreement negotiated by the Commission with Turkey on the readmission of its citizens residing illegally in Europe and illegal nationals of other third countries transiting through Turkey to reach Europe. This support was welcomed on Thursday by European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, who finalised this agreement with Ankara on 14 January. The commissioner also welcomed the fact that the ministers had agreed to the idea of launching dialogue immediately on visas with Turkey. In Malmström's view, this dialogue will be the forum to discuss such issues as multiple-entry visas for business people and flexible visas for students or researchers, she told a press conference.
According to some sources, however, this dialogue should by no means open the door to the process of visa liberalisation or facilitation, with some member states, such as France and Germany, currently opposed to this process. The discussion on visas announced by Malmström may be largely technical in nature. In the run-up, furthermore, the Turkish authorities will have to accept the agreement supported by Thursday's Council. It is a very “important” agreement, says Sandor Pinter, the Hungarian home affairs minister, who adds that if negotiations with Ankara over this agreement bear fruit, “the pressure on Greece will be far greater” as, in the ministers' eyes, this agreement should help to contain arrivals of illegal immigrants in the EU.
It is therefore by no means certain that Ankara, in its turn, will accept this agreement, which currently offers no guarantees on a possible visa liberalisation regime, with Turkey calling for the Commission to have a mandate from the Council to negotiate the issue, which is not currently the case. In view of the Turkish minister for European Affairs, Egemen Bagis, the agreement supported by the Council does nonetheless pave the way for a liberalisation regime, he told AFP, whilst noting that Ankara's agreement could be made upon the condition of a mandate for the Commission. “With all due respect, the citizens of Belize, Uruguay and Paraguay can travel to the Schengen zone (…) without a visa; but my citizens have to queue up at the embassies to get one. This is not right, it is ridiculous”, he said. (S.P./transl.fl)