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Visa Information System: putting into effect of certain provisions of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania

2017/0808(CNS)

PURPOSE: to put into effect of certain provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Visa Information System (VIS) in Bulgaria and Romania.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/1908 on the putting into effect of certain provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Visa Information System in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania.

CONTENT: on 9 June 2011, the Council concluded that the conditions in all the areas of the Schengen acquis relating to Air Borders, Land Borders, Police Cooperation, Data Protection, the Schengen Information System, Sea Borders and Visas had been fulfilled by Bulgaria and Romania.

A simplified regime for controls of persons at the external borders was introduced in accordance with Decision No 565/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council.

The lifting of checks at internal borders of the Member States concerned and their full participation in the Schengen acquis relating to the common policy on visas should be subject to a separate decision of the Council adopted by unanimity in accordance with Article 4(2) of the 2005 Act of Accession.

Until the adoption of the Council decision lifting the checks at internal borders of the Member States, the competent visa authorities of Bulgaria and Romania may access the VIS for consultation in read-only format, for the purposes of:

  • the examination of applications for short-stay visas to be issued by Bulgaria and Romania under their national law;
  • deciding upon those applications, including the decision whether to annul, revoke, extend or shorten the validity of the visa issued in accordance with their relevant national provisions.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 12.10.2017.

APPLICATION: the Decision shall apply from the date that the Commission sets when Bulgaria and Romania have notified it that all related comprehensive testing of the provisions listed in the Annex (list of the provisions of the Schengen acquis related to VIS to be rendered applicable to Bulgaria and Romania) have been successfully completed.