Brussels, 12/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 12 February, the committee on civil liberties of the European Parliament enshrined the compromise reached with the Council on visa-free regimes granted to 16 countries of the Pacific and the Caribbean and United Arab Emirates, Peru and Colombia. The nationals of these countries may enter the Schengen zone only if they have been issued with biometric passports, under the new amendment to the visa regulation of 2001 which took their countries off the negative list (visa required) and onto the positive list. In October, the committee supported the mandate of its rapporteur, Mariya Gabriel (EPP, Bulgaria). The text also covers British citizens resident in overseas territories. For Peru and Colombia, however, the Commission should be particularly vigilant, the MEPs asked, before any arrangements to remove visa exemptions are concluded. The text (which was adopted by 49 votes to one) will be put to the plenary vote in April. (SP/transl.fl)