The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home
Affairs adopted the report by Mariya GABRIEL (EPP, BG) on the draft
Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European
Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the
Independent State of Samoa on the short-stay visa
waiver.
The committee recommended the European Parliament to
give its consent to the conclusion of the
Agreement.
To recall, the Agreement signed on 28 May 2015
provides for visa-free travel for the citizens of the
European Union and for the citizens of Samoa when travelling to the
territory of the other Contracting Party for a maximum period of
90 days in any 180-day period. The visa waiver covers all
categories of persons (ordinary, diplomatic, service/official and
special passport holders) travelling for all kinds of purposes,
except for the purpose of carrying out a paid
activity.
The report is accompanied by a short justification
stating that this Agreement on the waiver of short-stay visas
simultaneously represents a culmination of the deepening of
relations between the European Union and the Independent State
of Samoa – which is politically highly significant in the
context of the Cotonou Agreement – and is an additional way
of stepping up economic and cultural relations and intensifying
political dialogue on various issues, including human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
- Samoa’s economy,
Samoa has one of the most dynamic economies of all the Pacific
islands. Two thirds of the work force are employed in agriculture,
which accounts for 90% of exports. The EU is currently negotiating
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with 14 Pacific
countries, including Samoa. Generally speaking, trade and
investment between the European Union and the Pacific countries
remain weak both as regards their value and in relative terms, but
they have strong potential for development. The visa waiver
agreement could in particular have a positive impact on investment
and on the development of tourism.
- As regards the political situation, Samoa has been a stable parliamentary democracy
since it gained independence in 1962. Fundamental rights and
freedoms are protected by the Constitution and generally respected
in practice. The Union’s political dialogue with Samoa
focuses, on the one hand, on environmental issues and climate
change and, on the other hand, on human rights and gender equality.
This agreement will create additional opportunities to intensify
cooperation with regard to human rights, including gender violence
and domestic violence.
- With regard to mobility,
the rate of refusal of visas being low. Most migrants currently
make the United States their destination, while very few of them go
to the European Union. The country does not present any threat in
terms either of irregular migration or of security and public
policy. Given that no EU Member State has a Consulate in
Samoa, the visa waiver will constitute a definite advantage for
travel to the European Union for purposes of tourism or
business.
As regards the implementation and monitoring of the
agreement, the rapporteur:
- called on the Commission to observe any developments
in relation to the criteria regarding clandestine
immigration, public policy and security, including, considerations
relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- urged the Commission and the authorities of Samoa to
ensure full reciprocity of the visa waiver, which should
permit equal treatment of all citizens, particularly all citizens
of the Union;
- encouraged the Commission to review the composition
of the joint management committees for future agreements to
enable the European Parliament to be involved in the work of these
committees.
Lastly, the rapporteur also queried the practice of
signing visa waiver agreements and applying them provisionally
before the European Parliament has approved them, a practice which
is liable to reduce Parliament’s room for
manoeuvre.