A delegation of Ecuadorian MPs and representatives of the Andean parliament was in Brussels last week to argue for the lifting of the requirement that Ecuadorians travelling to the European Union for short stays must hold a valid visa.
The delegation set out the reasons for the removal of the requirement for a visa to a group of MEPs, including Ramón Jáuregui Atondo (S&D, Spain), joint chair of the Euro-Latin America parliamentary committee, and representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS). It wants Ecuadorians to enjoy the same treatment as the nationals of many other Latin American countries.
Colombian and Peruvian citizens have not needed visas since December 2015 (see EUROPE 11444) and March 2016 (see EUROPE 11511) respectively – a measure eased by the coming into effect of trade agreements between the two countries and the EU, to which Ecuador acceded at the start of 2017 (see EUROPE 11698).
The case argued by the Ecuadorian delegation was given a positive reception by MEPs but the Commission was a bit more guarded, a member of the Ecuadorian delegation told EUROPE in Bogotá on Wednesday 25 on the sidelines of the 3rd Euro-Latin America press publishers’ congress. He said that the EU expressed fears about the numbers of Ecuadorians travelling to Europe as tourists and remaining illegally until their situation is regularised.
The Ecuadorians say that the situation has changed greatly, with Ecuador now, like Colombia, becoming a haven for Venezuelans fleeing the political and economic crisis in their country.
Setting out the efforts being made by the Colombian government to deliver peace on the ground after the FARC guerrilla group agreed to lay down its weapons, Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Ángela Holguín Cuéllar also hailed the closer relations her country has with the EU, thanks to the coming into force of the trade agreement and the removal of the visa requirement. Colombia has already signed visa waiver agreements with 72 countries across the globe, she pointed out. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)