Brussels, 07/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - In parallel to a communication designed to improve the visa policy practised by the EU (see other article), the Commission proposed on 7 November to exempt 16 countries from the visa obligation, in this case 16 island nations whose nationals will only have to show their passport to visit the countries of the Schengen zone.
Five Caribbean island nations (Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago); 10 Pacific island nations (Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu); and Timor-Leste have been added to the list of third countries and territories whose nationals are exempted from a visa obligation, the Commission explained in a press release.
Nationals of these countries will no longer need to obtain a short-stay visa (up to 90 days) as long as they are in possession of a passport, whether travelling on business, for a holiday or for family reasons. This measure will make it easier for them to arrange their travel and will reduce the costs of it, the Commission notes. As there is a limited number of consular offices of member states in most of these countries, people wishing to obtain a Schengen visa have in many cases been obliged to go abroad to apply, it explains. The proposal also provides a measure of reciprocity in the form of visa exemption agreements stipulating an exemption regime for all the citizens of the EU wishing to travel to these countries. Furthermore, certain categories of British citizens currently subject to a visa obligation (some 300,000 people currently residing in overseas British territories such as Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands) will also enjoy this exemption. The Council and the European Parliament must approve these measures. (SP/transl.fl)