COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION:interesting update

 

Press material Tuesday 9 November 2021

● Council of the EU   09/11/2021 11:15 | Press release | COVID-19: Council removes Singapore and Ukraine from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted   Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the Council updated the list of countries, special administrative regions and other entities and territorial authorities for which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular Singapore and Ukraine were removed from the list. Non-essential travel to the EU from countries or entities not listed in Annex I is subject to temporary travel restriction. This is without prejudice to the possibility for member states to lift the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travellers. As stipulated in the Council recommendation, this list will continue to be reviewed every two weeks and, as the case may be, updated. Based on the criteria and conditions set out in the recommendation, as from 9 November 2021 member states should gradually lift the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of the following third countries: Argentina Australia Bahrain Canada Chile Colombia Jordan Kuwait Namibia New Zealand Peru Qatar Rwanda Saudi Arabia South Korea United Arab Emirates Uruguay China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity Travel restrictions should also be gradually lifted for the special administrative regions of China Hong Kong and Macao. Under the category of entities and territorial authorities that are not recognised as states by at least one member state, travel restrictions for Taiwan should also be gradually lifted. Residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican should be considered as EU residents for the purpose of this recommendation. The criteria to determine the third countries for which the current travel restriction should be lifted were updated on 20 May 2021. They cover the epidemiological situation and overall response to COVID-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources. Reciprocity should also be taken into account on a case by case basis. Schengen associated countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) also take part in this recommendation. ● Council of the EU   09/11/2021 11:11 | Press release | Belarus: Council suspends visa facilitation provisions for officials of the Belarus regime   The Council today adopted a decision partially suspending the application of the EU-Belarus visa facilitation agreement. This decision is a response to the ongoing hybrid attack launched by the Belarusian regime. The suspension covers the provisions that waive requirements for documentary evidence, regulate the issuing of multiple entry visas and reduce visa application fees as they apply to officials of the Belarus regime. This decision will not affect ordinary citizens of Belarus, who will continue to enjoy the same benefits under the visa facilitation agreement as they do currently. "We strongly condemn and reject the continued instrumentalisation of migration by the Belarus regime. It is unacceptable for Belarus to play with people's lives for political purposes. Today's decision shows once again our joint commitment to continue countering this ongoing hybrid attack." Aleš Hojs, Minister for the Interior of Slovenia and Chair of the Home Affairs Council Next steps The decision will now be published in the Official Journal and will enter into force on the second day following publication. Under the visa facilitation agreement the decision on suspension is to be notified to the other party no later than 48 hours before its entry into force. Background The EU-Belarus visa facilitation agreement entered into force on 1 July 2020, in parallel with the EU-Belarus readmission agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to facilitate the issuance of short stay visas and thereby contribute to enhancing people-to-people contacts and sharing values and democratic principles. Following the political upheaval in Belarus and the restrictive measures adopted by the EU, in June 2021 Belarus began to organise flights and internal travel to facilitate the transit of migrants towards the EU, first to Lithuania and then to Latvia and Poland. Belarus also announced on 28 June 2021 that it would suspend the readmission agreement with the EU. These actions breach the fundamental principles on which the visa facilitation agreement was entered into, and go against the EU’s interests. Council decision on the partial suspension of the application of the EU-Belarus visa facilitation agreement EU relations with Belarus (background information)