Brussels, 01/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - More than €130 billion over five years and 1.3 million new jobs in the tourism and associated sectors. These are the benefits that could accrue to the countries of the Schengen area from the new rules on the issue of visas, presented by the commissioners for internal affairs and for industry, Cecilia Malmström and Antonio Tajani respectively.
The two commissioners proposed amending the 2010 visa code to facilitate international tourism and tabled two legislative proposals (a draft regulation on the EU visa code and a draft regulation establishing a touring visa), that will reduce from 15 to 10 days the time it takes to process and take a decision on a visa application, allow delivery of three-year multi-entry visas to regular, reliable travellers, and adapt Schengen visas to the specific needs of researchers and artists who wish to remain more than 90 days in the Schengen area. For them, a one-year visa, renewable for a further year, will become available.
The Commission also proposes that the list of supporting documents be simplified (the often costly obligatory travel medical insurance, for example, will be abolished). The changes also seek to increase consular cooperation. According to the proposal, if the member state competent for processing the visa application is not present or represented in a given third country, the applicant would be entitled to apply at any of the consulates present (“mandatory representation”). Minors will be exempted from payment of visa costs.
For regular travellers who are VIS (Visa Information System) registered, a multiple-entry visa (MEV), valid for three years and subsequently five years, be a possibility. Visa applicants whose data are registered in the VIS and who have previously lawfully used at least two visas within the previous twelve-month period will benefit from these facilitations.
The new touring visa for stays of more than 90 days will allow legitimate third-country nationals entering the Schengen area to travel within this area for up to one year (provided that they do not stay for more than 90 days in any 180-day period in any one member state), with the possibility of an extension for up to one more year. “This would, for instance, apply to live-performing artists who tour the Schengen area for a prolonged period, but also to individual travellers, such as tourists, researchers and students who wish to spend more time in Europe” states the Commission.
Malmström and Tajani said on 1 April that in 2012, the Schengen area “lost” nearly 6.6 million tourists as a result of the cumbersome visa procedures. This is something they do not wish to see repeated. Tourists come principally from Russia and Ukraine, these two countries providing the largest number of Schengen visa applications, according to 2012 figures, followed by China. For these countries, the level of refusals of visa applications is very low.
On this point, the Commission does not wish to take any further risks on illegal immigration: the rules for declining visa applications will remain the same. Currently, it is Algeria which has the highest level of refusals (26.7% of applications in 2012), followed by Iran and Morocco. Refusals are most commonly on the grounds that the applicant will remain in Europe and then invoke family reunification.
The two draft regulations must now be approved by the Council of the European Union and by the European Parliament. This will not be before 2015. After the regulations come into force, the changes will apply to all the EU member states which fully apply the common Schengen visa policy and four other Schengen-associated states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom do not participate in the visa policy. (SP)