As expected, the committee of member states’ permanent representatives to the EU, Coreper, gave its approval on Wednesday 25 April to the new authorisation system for visitors to the EU from countries exempted from the visa requirement, ETIAS (European Travel and Information Authorisation System), proposed by the European Commission in 2016. The European Parliament’s civil liberties committee then voted by 45 to 10 (no abstentions) to adopt the compromise reached with the Council and the Commission welcomed the step taken in building “a stronger and more secure Union” for its people.
Under the compromise adopted, all nationals of visa-exempt third countries will have to apply for authorisation prior to travelling to the EU. This authorisation will cost €7 and application will be made online on a dedicated internet site of the member state they wish to visit.
The travel authorisation constitutes a prior check for member states before visitors cross their borders and seeks to prevent terrorist threats. It will also help in combatting illegal immigration and threats to public health, the Council says in a press release. The information submitted in each application will be automatically processed against the data held in relevant EU databases, such as the Schengen Information System, and the Interpol databases. Unless anything is flagged up, the authorisation will be approved in a few minutes.
Prior to boarding, air carriers and sea carriers will need to check whether third country nationals subject to the travel authorisation requirement are in possession of a valid travel authorisation, which will be valid for three years or until the travel document registered at the time of application expires, whichever is sooner.
From three years after ETIAS comes into force, this obligation will also apply to international carriers transporting groups overland by coach, the Council adds. ETIAS is due to be in place by 2021. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)