Regulation (EU) 2021/1134

What it is

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA. The committee recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal as follows. Members believe that the proposed reform shall be the extension of the scope of the Visa Information System (VIS) to include long-stay visas and residence permits. This change shall increase the security of external borders and better secure the rights of long-term residents. As regards short-stay visas , the VIS shall facilitate the exchange of data between Member States on visa applications and decisions, with a view to facilitating and accelerating the visa application procedure. The European Parliament adopted by 522 votes to 122, with 31 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA. The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amended the Commission's proposal as follows. The Visa Information System (VIS) is a European database used by authorities to monitor third-country nationals requiring a visa to travel to the Schengen area. The reform of the VIS should enable the system to better respond to security developments and migration challenges, and to optimise the management of the EU's external borders by extending its scope to long-stay visas and residence permits in order to address gaps in security information. As regards short-stay visas, the VIS shall facilitate the exchange of data between Member States on visa applications and decisions, with a view to facilitating and accelerating the visa application procedure. With regard to long-stay visas and residence permits, the VIS shall: (i) support a high level of security in all Member States by contributing to the assessment of whether the applicant or holder of a document is considered to pose a threat to public policy, internal security; (ii) facilitate checks at external border crossing points and enhance the effectiveness of checks within the territory of the Member States. For all visas, the VIS shall assist in the identification of missing persons, in particular children, and contribute the prevention of threats to the internal security of any of the Member States, namely through the prevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offences or of other serious criminal offences in appropriate and strictly defined circumstances. The VIS would be based on a centralised architecture. The centralised services shall be…

Frequently asked