PURPOSE : to establish a Facilitated Transit Document (FTD) and a Facilitated Rail Transit Document (FRTD) and amend the Common consular Instructions and common Manual.
CONTENT : while preparing for the accession of new Member States, the EU is confronted with new situations, especially related to external border crossings in a future enlarged EU. Legalisation is required to avoid problems occurring at the external borders, in particular as regards persons transiting by land between two parts of the same third country via the territory of one or more Member States. This situation will apply in the Russian region of Kalingrad. This kind of entry and return transit does not currently exist in the EU.
This proposal establishes the FTD and FRTD and sets out the definition, validity, issuing procedures and conditions for obtaining such documents.
- the FTD and FRTD are deemed to be equivalent to transit visas. Two specific travel authorisations for facilitated transit are drawn up in the form of uniform formats corresponding to that used for visas. This will ensure a high standard of protection against counterfeiting;
- the FTD may be issued by Member States for facilitated transit by land transport for multiple entries. It will substitute for the normal multiple-entry transit visas for persons who travel frequently and can justify continued use. Member States may issue the FRTD. This will substitute for the normal single-entry visa;
- a transit based on the FTD must not exceed 24 hours;
- a transit based on the FRTD must not exceed six hours.
As the proposed initiatives are developing the Schengen acquis, certain Member States are not taking part in the adoption of the Regulation.�