Brussels, 25/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - - During a meeting in Saint Petersburg on 24 and 25 April, the EU and Russia agreed to continue their dialogue in order to resolve the many outstanding problems relating to visas. “I have appreciated the constructive and fruitful discussions with the Russian side, particularly in the field of visas, where an excellent dialogue has been established resulting in a common understanding about shared objectives and appropriate methods of achieving them”, said European Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot after the 8th meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council (PPC) in the field of justice and home affairs. Discussions included in particular the state of progress in dialogue on the possibility of establishing a visa-free regime between the EU and Russia.
A visa facilitation agreement was signed with Russia in 2007 but, in order to go further, the EU first of all demands correct and lasting implementation. The EU's main demands include regularisation of the status of EU citizens living in Russia. In a joint letter addressed to the Kremlin early April, the Commission and the Slovenian EU Presidency complained that many European nationals are faced with bureaucratic barriers preventing them from obtaining long-term visas, thus forcing them to leave the country after 90 days. Russia, for its part, reproaches the EU for the fact that Russian nationals must pay additional taxes, not set out in an agreement, when paying their visa which costs the fixed price of €35. Several EU countries in fact externalise their visa issuance services, which generates additional costs. The Commission, however, has said that it is working on this point by amending consular instructions. The next EU/Russia Summit, to be held on 26 June 2008 in Khanty-Mansiisk (Siberia), is to focus on the launching of a strengthened partnership agreement, which should very probably mention the long term objective of liberalisation of the visa regime between the EU and Russia. In order to achieve this, Russia should move forward on four separate chapters: - the security of identity documents, using biometrics; the fight against illegal immigration; aspects relating to public security and police cooperation; and external relations with neighbouring countries.
Participants welcomed the adoption of a cooperation plan between Frontex and the Russian border guard corps and stressed the need to sign agreements on local border traffic. They discussed quarrels over the demarcation of borders between Russia and the Baltic States, as well as on the control structures at the borders between the EU and Russia (7 border control agencies exist in Russia, the aim being to reduce this number to 2). The PPC has expressed concern regarding Afghan drugs and pledged to continue a structured expert level dialogue on drugs precursors. Mr Barrot proposed to the presidential aide, Viktor Ivanov, that the EU and Russia should organise a common conference on the fight against cybercrime. He took stock of negotiations underway between the European Police College (CEPOL) and Russia on a cooperation agreement. Finally, participants discussed judicial cooperation, first of all in civilian matters on the possible conclusion of an agreement on family law, and in criminal law on the modernisation of the 1957 European extradition convention and judicial cooperation. The PCC confirmed it was willing to have closer cooperation between Eurojust and the Russian criminal prosecution bodies and, possibly, to seal an agreement. (B.C.)