Strasbourg, 06/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the report y the Christian Democrat Klaus-Heiner Lehne the European Parliament approved, with ten amendments, the draft regulation finalising the list of third countries whose nationals are submitted to visa requirements to cross external borders and the list of those nationals who are exempted from these requirements. The Parliament, who followed its rapporteur, notably called for the possibility for Member States that want to waive the visa requirement for youth taking part in the European Union youth programmes. Other amendments aim at making the text coherent with Schengen regulations or to specify that this regulation does not affect Member State competence concerning the recognition of States and territories as well as passports, travel and identity documents issued by these authorities.
During the debate, the Commissioner Antonio Vitorino indicated that the Commission may pass all the Parliament's amendments except the one regarding youths. While expressing its sympathy for the Parliament's initiative, he explained that the proposal for assessment aims for the maximum harmonisation of the regulations regarding visas and that the Commission does not want to introduce possibilities for exemptions that would be contradictory with the aims desired.