10/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - MEPs Jean-Luc Bennahmias (Greens/EFA, France), Claire Gibault (ALDE, France), Catherine Trautmann (PES, France), Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, Germany) and Henri Weber (PES, France) have issued a written declaration on the difficulties experienced by non-European artists and cultural operators for entering EU territory. Noting the large number of visa refusals and the discrepancies in application of the rules for admission to the Schengen Area for third country artists, MEPs call on member states to agree on integrated and concerted procedures on the follow-up to be given to visa requests. Also, they call for the creation of an appeals and conciliation body within the European Union, as well as an international consultation platform aimed at jointly establishing rules on mobility. (gc)