Council Decision (EU) 2020/752 of 27 May 2020 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas

What it is

to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: in the context of the Eastern Partnership Summit Declaration of 7 May 2009, the Union and the partner countries expressed their political support towards liberalisation of the visa regime in a safe and secure environment and reaffirmed their intention to take gradual steps towards a visa free regime for their citizens in due course. On that basis, the Commission presented on 12 November 2010, a recommendation to the Council with a view to obtaining directives to negotiate Agreements with the Republic of Belarus on, respectively, the facilitation of the issuance of short-stay visas, and readmission of persons residing without authorisation. BACKGROUND: in the Eastern Partnership Summit Declaration of 7 May 2009, the Union and the partner countries expressed their political support towards liberalisation of the visa regime in a safe and secure environment and reaffirmed their intention to take gradual steps towards a visa free regime for their citizens in due course. The Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, once signed subject to its conclusion at a later date, should now be approved. The Commission carried out an assessment of the security and integrity of the Belarusian system for issuing biometric diplomatic passports and their technical specifications. CONTENT: the Council draft is aimed at approving, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas. The proposed decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis. The United Kingdom and Ireland are therefore not taking part in its adoption. This is also the case for Denmark. The European Parliament adopted by 634 votes to 48, with 4 abstentions a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas. Following the recommendation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement. Negotiations with Belarus were formally opened in Brussels on 30 January 2014 and resulted in an agreement initialled on 17 June 2019. In the meantime, Belarus, the European Union and seven participating Member States (Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Finland and Latvia) signed a Joint Declaration on a Mobility Partnership on 13 October 2016. The importance of the fundamental principles governing cooperation between the Parties and of the obligations and responsibilities, including respect for human rights and democratic principles, arising from the relevant international instruments to which they are bound is underlined in the preamble to the Agreement. The Parties may suspend the Agreement in whole or in part for any reason whatsoever, in…

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