The European Parliament has adopted a report by Kinga Gál (EPP, Hungary) on the system of authorisation for visa-free travellers – who will have to fill out an authorisation form before entering the Schengen area (see EUROPE 12009).
The system is expected to be operational in 2021. Around 30 million visa-free individuals, from 60 countries, enter the Schengen area every year. The new system should thus provide additional information on these travellers.
The travellers will have to provide their personal data (notably their name, place and date of birth, sex and nationality), information linked to their travel document (validity, country of issue), their address and contact details, as well as the European country in which their initial entry to the Schengen area is foreseen. Any sentence for serious criminal violations (terrorism, sexual exploitation of children, trafficking of humans or drugs, murder or rape) will have to be indicated, as will stays in war zones, and any administrative decision asking the individual to leave the territory. The data provided will have to be checked in the relevant databases. Individuals presenting a risk will not be admitted. Authorisation will cost €7 but will be free for under-18 year olds and those older than 70. It will be valid for three years or until the travel document expires. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)