“Mobility and Visa regulations in Europe – EU relations with its neighbouring countries” was the theme of this week’s EMI Briefing with Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

The Commissioner stressed “that there is a need for a lively discussion in the European Union in these times of economic crisis which is imposing such hardship on so many all over Europe as well as generating a more inward looking atmosphere placing more emphasis in public debate on closing borders, protecting our own national interests, keeping ‘others’ out and focusing more on intergovernmental solutions instead of true European solutions”.

She pointed out that with regard to the large number of Visas issued in the European Union that the EU VISA code plays an important role in facilitating easier access to the Visa application procedure. It allows Member States to speed up administration procedures and reduce visa fees.

Commissioner Malmström noted that “the most recent element of the visa scheme is the launch of the Visa Information System (VIS). VIS is an electronic visa system that will be less time consuming and more efficient. It uses fingerprints and other digital facial elements. Moreover, for those that want to stay longer in the European Union an immigration portal will be launched soon, providing for example information on national rules for visa applications”.

The Commissioner also used the occasion to underline that “we should not be naive. There are elements that we would not like to have in the European Unions for example criminals who are very good at falsifying documents and we should therefore do our utmost to manage external borders and make sure that we only facilitate visa for those that are entitled to come. The EU Agency Frontex and the Schengen information system provide an important contribution in this regard”.

Every year 700 Million external border crossings are made via land, sea or air borders. About one third of these crossings are made by third country nationals, many of them coming from EU neighbouring countries. The European neighbourhood policy was set up in 2004, promoting stronger relations with the European Union and the EU bordering countries. One of the very concrete ways of cooperation is to have visa facilitation which has made considerable progress in the Western Balkans, namely Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Referring to Turkey the Commissioner remarked that as an EU candidate country that “although negotiations with Turkey are not moving on very quickly, mobility is important in the light of Turkey as a fast growing country with a young dynamic population. Turkey can serve as a bridge between us and the events in the Mediterranean. Nonetheless, we currently don’t have a formal visa dialogue with Turkey but the Commission is looking at facilitation options. In this regard it is important to provide only one set of documents to travel to EU countries. The Visa Code can play an important role in terms of reducing fees as well as setting up more offices throughout Turkey where citizens can apply for visas. All these steps should hopefully lead to a more formal dialogue and ways to set up a roadmap for Turkey”.

The Commissioner concluded that the process not only is very technical but is also very political and that the reforms that are asked for in the countries are sometimes difficult and painful, underlining however that they are necessary in order to create an effective system in terms of border control, migration management and less corruption.

Summing up her intervention she stated that behind the technicalities and political sensitivities “there are of course citizens who want to travel, to study, to work and to do business and that we should encourage. The pressure is not likely to decrease, it will increase but we should welcome that. In order to manage this pressure we need the support of the Member States and in that work the European Movement International and other NGOs can help to make the case and support the reforms that are needed to make the best use of the possibilities in the Members Countries”.

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Editor’s Note: The European Movement International has made intense efforts in recent years to promote the dialogue between civil society and public authorities, especially in candidate states or potential candidate states. People-to-people contacts, hands across borders and the building of friendships, personal, professional and of networks are of utmost importance to the EMI. The Visa question is visible, tangible and real. It has both symbolic and practical dimensions and the EMI will continue to sensitize the public for this question.

The debate was kindly hosted by the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union and moderated by Pat Cox, President of the European Movement International.

For more information, please contact the secretariat: +32 (0)2 508 30 88

E-Mail: communication(at)europeanmovement.eu