MEMO/07/153
Brussels, 25 April 2007
Opening of a "Common Visa Application Centre" in
Moldova
Following the Hague Programme, the Commission presented on 31 May
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2006 a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the
Council in view of setting up a legal framework for the organisation of
Member States' consular offices to enhance consular co-operation.
The aim is twofold. On the one hand the sharing of premises staff and equipment
between the participating countries will lead to a better use of resources. On the
other hand it will facilitate the access of the applicants to the visa issuance
procedure.
This proposal, which is currently under negotiation within the Council and the
European Parliament, introduces new forms of co-operation such as Common Visa
Application Centres, somehow separating the reception of, and the decision on the
visa application. Consular staff of two or more Member States is pooled in a building
in order to receive visa applications that are transferred to the Member State
responsible for the decision.
While presenting the proposal to the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Vice
President Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Freedom, Justice and Security,
suggested that pilot projects should be launched for the setting up of such centres.
Moldova was identified as one of the most relevant countries as the accession of
Romania has created a new situation. Only a very small number of Member States
are present or represented in Chisinau and Romania has introduced the visa
obligation for Moldovan citizens.
In August 2006 Hungary took the initiative to set up a Common Visa Application
Centre in the premises of it's embassy in Chisinau -where consular officers of other
Members States are present and responsible also for Moldova- with the participation
of Austria, Slovenia and Denmark, other Member States being welcome to
participate now or at a later stage.
Hungary signed a memorandum of understanding with the Moldovan authorities and
concluded bilateral agreements with the participating Member States on the details
of their cooperation.
The Centre started operating with technical tests on 12 April 2007, the official
opening taking place today.
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-COM(2006) 269 final, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the
Common Consular Instructions on visas for diplomatic missions and consular posts in relation to the
introduction of biometrics including provisions on the organisation of the reception and processing of visa
applications, Brussels, 31.5.2006.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0269en01.pdf
The Centre will be able to handle about 10,000 applications a year. It will only collect
visa applications for transit, airport transit and short-stay visas in the name of the
participating Member States. The applications will be collected in the Centre
(scanning of passports and pictures) and sent at least once a week to the processing
consulates. Besides the hard copy of the application and the supporting documents,
a reusable smart card with the basic data of the applicant and the application will be
attached to each application. The smart card will contain the photo of the applicant
and later on the fingerprints as well.
This initiative has a particular meaning in the context of the negotiations with
Moldova of visa facilitation and readmission agreements that will be initialled today.
Background information on Common Visa application Center
In order to avoid all Member States having to install the necessary equipment for
enrolling biometric identifiers in every consular office, the idea of creating "Common
application Centres" was born. This is the reason for dealing, in the second part of
the proposal1, with the organisation of Member States' consular services.
In addition to the existing form of representation, there are new forms of organisation
of consular offices suggested: co-location, common application centres and
outsourcing.
•
Co-location means that consular staff of two or more Member States are
sharing the equipment of a host Member State in its consular post;
•
Common application centres means that consular staff of two or more
Member States are pooled in one "neutral" building in order to receive visa
applications;
•
Outsourcing means collaboration with external service providers for the
possibility either to function as a "call-centre" for giving appointments or for
the reception of visa applications including biometric identifiers.
In all cases, the treatment and the decision on the application is taken by the
Member State responsible. Especially outsourcing raises very important questions of
data protection and these issues will be discussed in-depth with the European
Parliament and Member States as this is an entirely new development in the
common visa policy.
This proposal could be a first step to the further enhancement of the harmonisation
of the application of the Common Consular Instructions and in view of future
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Common Visa Offices .
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For further information, see:
- IP/06/717 "Common Visa Application Centres" and introduction of biometrics in Visa Information System (VIS)
will reinforce internal security and facilitate legitimate travelling to EU, 02/06/2006 - MEMO/06/227 "Common
Visa Application Centres" and the introduction of biometrics in the Visa Information System (VIS), 02/06/2006
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