IP/09/257
Brussels, 12 February 2009
Toward a visa-free regime between the European
Community and Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mauritius, Barbados and
Seychelles
Mutual visa-free travel becomes soon a reality between the European
Community and Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Mauritius, Barbados and Seychelles – The Commission approves the draft
Council Decisions on the signature and conclusion of short-stay visa waiver
agreements with these six countries
The Vice-President Jacques Barrot, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Liberty
and Security, declared: "Sometimes Europe is unfairly named "Fortress Europe".
Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the launch of the procedure to ratify
agreements which will facilitate travel between the EU Member States and Antigua
and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mauritius, Barbados and
Seychelles. This is great news for nationals of these countries and EU citizens who
will soon be able to travel to these countries without requiring short stay visas . "
The agreements provide for visa-free travel for the citizens of the European Union
and for the citizens of the six countries – holders of all passports (diplomatic, service
and ordinary) – between their territories for stays not exceeding three months. The
agreements cover all category of travellers, except for the category of persons
travelling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity, for whom each Member State
and also the six countries remain free to impose the visa requirement in accordance
with the applicable Community or national law.
In order to make citizens benefit from the visa-free travel as soon as possible, the
Commission also proposed the provisional application of the agreements as
from their signature.
About 800.000 European citizens travel to these countries per year.
The Proposals on signature and conclusion are to be submitted to the Council for
adoption. The European Parliament is consulted on the draft decisions on the
conclusion of the agreements.
Background
Council Regulation (EC) 1932/2006 amended Council Regulation (EC) 539/2001
listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when
crossing the external borders of the European Union (negative list), and those whose
nationals are exempt from that requirement (positive list) by - inter alia - transferring
six third countries from the negative to the positive list. These are Antigua and
Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis and the
Seychelles. However, the Regulation made the implementation of the exemptions
from the visa requirement for nationals of these countries depending on the entry into
force of bilateral visa waiver agreements to be concluded between the European
Community and each of the countries concerned.
The mandates for negotiation with the six countries were adopted by the Council on
5 June 2008. The formal negotiations on visa waiver Agreements were opened in
July 2008 separately with each of the six countries. The negotiations were completed
on 16 October 2008 and the six Agreements were initialled on 12 and 19 November
2008.
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