PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2017/372 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Georgia).
CONTENT: Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 lists the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders of the Member States and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement.
Georgia is currently included in Annex I to the Regulation, that is to say, among the countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas to enter the territory of the Member States of the Union.
However, it is considered that Georgia has met all the benchmarks set out in the visa liberalisation action plan presented to the Georgian Government, and therefore fulfils the relevant criteria for its citizens to be exempted from the visa requirement when travelling to the territory of Member States.
Accordingly, Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 is amended to transfer Georgia from Annex I (list of countries subject to the visa requirement) to Annex II (list of countries exempt from visa requirement).
The visa waiver is limited to the holders of biometric passports issued by Georgia in line with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The Commission shall duly monitor the continuous fulfilment by Georgia of such criteria, especially on the fight against organised crime.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28.3.2017.