BETA


2020/0319(NLE) EU/Cabo Verde Agreement: amending EU/Cape Verde Agreement on facilitation of the issue of short-stay visas

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead LIBE LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (icon: S&D S&D) RANGEL Paulo (icon: EPP EPP), VITANOV Petar (icon: S&D S&D), IN 'T VELD Sophia (icon: Renew Renew), MARQUARDT Erik (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), KOFOD Peter (icon: ID ID), BRUDZIŃSKI Joachim Stanisław (icon: ECR ECR)
Committee Opinion AFET
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
TFEU 077-p2, TFEU 218-p6a

Events

2021/10/19
   Final act published in Official Journal
2021/10/07
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
2021/09/16
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 533 votes to 107, with 47 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the Union of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cabo Verde amending the Agreement on facilitating the issue of short-stay visas to citizens of the Republic of Cape Verde and of the European Union.

Following the recommendation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement.

The Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cape Verde amending the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cape Verde on the facilitation of the issuance of short-stay visas to the citizens of the Republic of Cape Verde and the European Union aims at facilitating, on the basis of reciprocity, the issuance of visas for an intended stay of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Documents
2021/09/06
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2021/09/06
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2021/09/02
   EP - LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2021/09/01
   EP - Vote in committee
2021/07/15
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2021/06/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/03/24
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/01/26
   CSL - Legislative proposal
Documents
2021/01/25
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Documents
2020/12/09
   EP - Preparatory document
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cabo Verde amending the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cape Verde on the facilitation of the issuance of short-stay visas to the citizens of the Republic of Cape Verde and the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: the Special Partnership between the EU and Cabo Verde was approved by the Council of the European Union on 19 November 2007. One of its objectives is to increase mobility and people-to-people contacts between citizens of the Union and Cabo Verde, as well as to strengthen cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration.

On 1 December 2014, the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cape Verde on the facilitation of issuance of short-stay visas to citizens of the Republic of Cape Verde and the European Union entered into force.

After almost 5 years of implementation of these Agreements and in light of the supervened changes of both the EU and Cabo Verde’s domestic legislation related to visas, namely the revision of the EU’s Visa Code 3 and Cabo Verde decision to exempt EU citizens from the visa requirement for stays up to 30 days, the Joint Committee set up by the existing agreement explored the need to amend certain rules thereby established, with a view to adapt it to the changed circumstances.

On that basis, the Commission presented on 13 September 2019, a recommendation to the Council with a view to obtaining directives to negotiate an Agreement amending the existing Visa Facilitation Agreement with the Republic of Cabo Verde.

The Council having given its authorisation, the chief negotiators reached an agreement in principle on the draft text of the agreement, initialled on 24 July 2020 through an exchange of e-mails.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council approve the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cabo Verde amending the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cape Verde on the facilitation of the issuance of short-stay visas to the citizens of the Republic of Cape Verde and the European Union.

The purpose of the agreement is to facilitate, on the basis of reciprocity, the issuance of visas for an intended stay of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The agreement provides for the following:

- the reduction of the visa fee for processing applications to 75% of the amount to be charged in accordance with the applicable domestic (i.e. EUR 60 for Cabo Verdean citizens); for children of at least 12 years of age (but under 18 years of age), the fee is further reduced by 50% compared to the generally applicable amount (i.e. EUR 30 for Cabo Verdean citizens);

- simplification of the documents required to justify the purpose of the journey for certain categories of applicants, e.g. business people; spouses, children and parents of Union citizens or Cabo Verdean citizens legally residing in the EU; schoolchildren, students; participants in scientific, cultural, sporting or religious events, journalists and persons travelling for medical reasons;

- the modification of the rules on the issuing of multiple-entry visas focusing on the previous lawful use of the visa during a given reference period rather than on the purpose of travel of the applicants;

- the exemption from the visa requirement for short stays for holders of a valid EU laissez-passer;

- the possibility for the parties to suspend the agreement in whole or in part for any reason deemed appropriate;

- the amendment of the general clause of the agreement to ensure that: (i) the facilitation granted to Cabo Verdean citizens would be granted to EU citizens if the visa requirement for stays of up to 30 days re-imposed for their visit to Cabo Verde; (ii) at least the same facilitation are granted to EU citizens applying for a Cabo Verde visa for stays exceeding 30 days but not exceeding 90 days;

- the amendment of the Joint Declaration on cooperation on travel documents to include a reference to Cabo Verde’s internal legislation introducing biometric travel documents.

Documents

Votes

Accord visant à faciliter la délivrance de visas entre l'UE et Cabo Verde - Visa Facilitation Agreement between the EU and Cabo Verde - Visaerleichterungsabkommen zwischen der EU und Cabo Verde - A9-0264/2021 - Juan Fernando López Aguilar - Procédure d'approbation #

2021/09/15 Outcome: +: 533, -: 107, 0: 47
IT PL ES RO DE HU PT FR BG EL CZ NL SE BE HR SK LT SI AT DK LV MT EE LU FI CY IE
Total
73
51
58
31
92
19
21
78
17
20
21
28
21
21
12
14
10
8
19
14
8
6
7
6
13
6
13
icon: PPE PPE
175

Hungary PPE

1

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Malta PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2
2
icon: S&D S&D
140

Greece S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
98

Italy Renew

2

Hungary Renew

2
3

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Ireland Renew

2
icon: ECR ECR
62

Romania ECR

1

Germany ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Greece ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

4

Sweden ECR

For (1)

3

Croatia ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

1

Latvia ECR

2
icon: NI NI
35

Germany NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Netherlands NI

1

Croatia NI

2

Slovakia NI

2

Lithuania NI

1
icon: ID ID
70

Czechia ID

Against (2)

2

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Denmark ID

Abstain (1)

1

Estonia ID

Abstain (1)

1

Finland ID

2
icon: The Left The Left
37

Germany The Left

Against (1)

4

Czechia The Left

Against (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Sweden The Left

Against (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Against (1)

1

Denmark The Left

Against (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2

Ireland The Left

4
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Poland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2
AmendmentsDossier
4 2020/0319(NLE)
2021/07/15 LIBE 4 amendments...
source: 695.321

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

events/1/date
Old
2021-01-26T00:00:00
New
2021-01-25T00:00:00
events/6
date
2021-10-07T00:00:00
type
Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
body
EP/CSL
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting final decision
New
Procedure completed