PURPOSE: to sign the Agreement between the EU and Georgia on the readmission of persons residing without authorisation.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
BACKGROUND: following the August 2008 conflict in Georgia, the Extraordinary European Council held in Brussels on 1 September 2008 decided to step up relations with Georgia, including visa facilitation measures. According to the December 2005 COREPER, a visa facilitation agreement would not be concluded if no readmission agreement were in place. Accordingly, in November 2008, the Justice and Home Affairs Council formally authorised the Commission to negotiate a readmission agreement between the EC and Georgia. The agreed text was initialled on 25 November 2009 in Brussels by the Chief Negotiators of both Parties. Member States have been regularly informed and consulted at all stages of the readmission negotiations.
The Commission considers that the objectives set by the Council in its negotiating directives were attained and that the draft Readmission Agreement is acceptable to the Union.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.
LEGAL BASIS: Article 79(3), in conjunction with Article 218 (5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
CONTENT: this proposal constitutes the legal instrument for the signature of the readmission agreement.
For details on the final content of the this Agreement, please refer to the summary of COM(2010)0200 of 5 May 2010.
Since the two agreements on visa facilitation and readmission are linked, both agreements should be concluded and enter into force simultaneously.
BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implications for the Union’s budget.