Committee in European Parliament backs visa waiver for Georgia
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The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) has backed the plans to grant citizens of Georgia the right to travel to the Schengen area without a visa.
The Committee voted and approved a visa waiver for Georgia with 44 votes in favour, five against and one abstention late on Monday.
#Visa waiver proposal for #Georgia backed by @EP_Justice 44/5/0 | @GabrielMariyapic.twitter.com/D6n5EnjJCM
— LIBE Committee Press (@EP_Justice) September 5, 2016
European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn wrote on Twitter Georgia deserved visa liberalisation.
Well deserved! Hope now for quick decision by @EUCouncil in the interest of #Georgia's citizens! @GabrielMariya 2/2
— Johannes Hahn (@JHahnEU) September 5, 2016
Rapporteur position
The EU-Georgia visa liberalisation dialogue started in 2012 and by the end of 2015, the EU Commission had concluded that the country had fulfilled all benchmarks to be offered a visa-free travel regime.
Mariya Gabriel (EPP, BG), Parliament’s rapporteur for the proposal, believed the visa waiver was an important instrument that allowed Georgia to step up its economic and cultural relations with the EU, and intensifying political dialogue, including on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Georgia’s State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze went on Twitter to thank Gabriel for her "continuous support” after the LIBE sitting.
Thank you @GabrielMariya for your continuous support. Good dynamic! https://t.co/InKVeynVio
— David Bakradze (@BakradzeDavid) September 5, 2016
After the Committee sitting last night a statement was released by LIBE that said: "more efforts are necessary, however in areas such as freedom of the media, independence of the judiciary, the fairness of elections and increased participation of women and national minority representatives.”
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze welcomed LIBE’s long-awaited decision.
"The voting results of the LIBE Committee is yet another confirmation of the recognition of successful reforms carried out by Georgia and the European Parliament’s political support for Georgia’s visa liberalisation,” he said.
What’s next?
After the voting and the adoption of the regulation by LIBE, the amendment must now be approved by the Council of the European Union at the European Parliament's plenary session.
Already the Committee approved the opening of negotiations with the Council on the Georgia proposal, with a view to reaching an agreement at the first reading, as well as the composition of the negotiating team.
Once Parliament as a whole and the Council endorse the legislative changes, Georgian citizens will be able to enter the EU without a visa for 90 days in any 180-day period, provided they hold a biometric passport.
The visa waiver applies to the Schengen area, which includes all EU member states except Ireland and the United Kingdom, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Also yesterday LIBE approved a visa waiver for Kosovo with 25 votes in favour, 24 against and two abstentions.
European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn is confident Georgia will be granted visa liberalisation later this year.
About 150 officials from all over the European Union (EU) involved in European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) have voted in favour of Georgia gaining visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone.
Georgia meets all the benchmarks of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP), meaning in early 2016 the European Union (EU) will propose a legislative amendment to let Georgian citizens travel to the EU visa free.
Tbilisi celebrates the release of a positive progress report on Georgia's implementation of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP). The European Commission today released the report that said Georgia met all the benchmarks of the VLAP.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze is in Strasbourg, France today to meet European Union (EU) and European Parliament (EP) officials and discuss the country’s visa liberalisation perspectives.
The European Parliament (EP) has established a Georgia Friendship Team to strengthen the already strong ties that exist between the EP, the European Union (EU) and Georgia.
Georgia’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Natalia Sabanadze says the increasing presence of the EU in the Caucasus region is directly correlated with Georgia’s development, particularly its improvement in democracy.
Yesterday the Foreign Affairs Committee of the unicameral Parliament (Seimas) of Lithuania adopted a special document, where the country’s lawmakers address the EU to grant Georgian citizens with a visa waiver to travel to the EU "in the nearest future”.
"Georgia deserves the long-promised visa free regime,” says Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius. "Georgia did what it promised on visa liberalisation and we shouldn't be changing rules in the middle of the game," he added.
In a letter sent yesterday to the Slovak Presidency [of the CoE], MEPs of the Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) invited the Council of Europe to begin open talks on Georgia’s visa liberalisation "as soon as possible at the beginning of November”.
Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikheil Janelidze claims all indicators are present Georgia-European Union (EU) visa liberalisation negotiations to be successfully completed very soon.
The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini , says the situation in Georgia is "extremely positive” and the EU should respond appropriately and deliver visa liberalisation for the country.
European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn believes the European Parliament and Council of Europe will agree on a visa waiver suspension mechanism before Christmas.
Georgia’s top diplomat has participated in the eighth Annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in Brussels. The event was opened by EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
Members of the European Parliament have voiced a recommendation to let Georgia join the Schengen Area. The recommendation of letting Georgia in the Area is included in a report on the Eastern Partnership prepared by the European Parliament.