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 Republic
of Trinidad and Tobago 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 Trinidad and Tobago 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 Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago – 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.
- In the economic sphere,
the EU is ranked second among the trading partners of Trinidad and
Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago has one of the most dynamic and
prosperous economies in CARICOM, because of the oil and gas
resources, the high levels of direct investment and growing
tourism. It seeking to promote a diversified and competitive
economy based on technology, innovation and growth. The visa waiver
will simplify conditions for travel by businesspeople and will
facilitate investment.
- As regards the political and institutional
situation, civil and political rights
are guaranteed by the Constitution and respected in the country.
Trinidad and Tobago is a stable, democratic country, which, like
the European Union, defends the values and principles of democracy,
good governance and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
This agreement will make it possible to cooperate in such
fundamental fields as human rights and to pursue a balanced,
regular, in-depth political dialogue on more specific issues such
as abolition of the death penalty or promoting the rights of women
and children. These two issues remain the Union’s
priorities.
- As regards mobility, the
visa refusal rate in 2014 being around 0.3%. Trinidad and Tobago is
therefore a country which does not present the slightest risk of
clandestine immigration into the EU or irregular migration or any
threat to security and public policy.
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 Trinidad
and Tobago 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.