RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 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 (Kosovo*)

24.3.2023 - (05103/1/2023 – C9‑0047/2023 – 2016/0139(COD)) - ***II

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Rapporteur: Thijs Reuten

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 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 (Kosovo*)

(05103/1/2023 – C9‑0047/2023 – 2016/0139(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Council position at first reading (05103/1/2023 – C9‑0047/2023),

– having regard to its position at first reading[1] on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0277),

– having regard to Article 294(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A9-0076/2023),

1. Approves the Council position at first reading;

2. Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

3. Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

4. Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

 

 

 

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

On 4 May 2016, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Regulation 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 (Kosovo*). The LIBE Committee adopted its draft report on 5 September 2016, and on 9 September 2016 the European Parliament adopted its first reading position, taking over the Commission proposal. The vote on the decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations took place on 13 September 2018 and on 28 March 2019 the Parliament reconfirmed its position.

 

The Council adopted its position on 30 November 2022, allowing for the start of interinstitutional negotiations with a view to reaching an early second reading agreement. In the course of such negotiations, the two co-legislators agreed that visa liberalisation would become effective as of 1 January 2024, in conjunction with the launch of the EU-wide European Travel Information and Authorisation Process (ETIAS) system which digitally processes details of those travelling into the bloc. They were successfully concluded on 10 December 2022. On 12 January 2023, the LIBE Committee voted on and approved the text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations.

 

Since the Council’s first reading position adopted on 10 March 2023 fully reflects the agreement reached in early second reading interinstitutional negotiations, your rapporteur recommends that it be endorsed by the European Parliament without amendments, so that the Regulation can be adopted swiftly and enter into force as soon as possible.

 

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	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 (Kosovo*)
References	05103/1/2023 – C9-0047/2023 – 2016/0139(COD)
Draft act considered at first reading	COM(2016)0277 - C8-0177/2016
Receipt of Council position at first reading announced in plenary	16.3.2023
Committee responsible  Date announced in plenary	LIBE 16.3.2023
Rapporteurs  Date appointed	Thijs Reuten 10.10.2022
Previous rapporteurs	Tanja Fajon
Date adopted	23.3.2023
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	47 8 4
Members present for the final vote	Abir Al-Sahlani, Malik Azmani, Pietro Bartolo, Malin Björk, Vasile Blaga, Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, Patrick Breyer, Saskia Bricmont, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Patricia Chagnon, Caterina Chinnici, Clare Daly, Anna Júlia Donáth, Lena Düpont, Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová, Laura Ferrara, Maria Grapini, Sophia in ‘t Veld, Patryk Jaki, Marina Kaljurand, Fabienne Keller, Łukasz Kohut, Moritz Körner, Alice Kuhnke, Jeroen Lenaers, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Lukas Mandl, Erik Marquardt, Nuno Melo, Nadine Morano, Javier Moreno Sánchez, Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Paulo Rangel, Isabel Santos, Birgit Sippel, Sara Skyttedal, Tineke Strik, Ramona Strugariu, Milan Uhrík, Jadwiga Wiśniewska, Elena Yoncheva, Javier Zarzalejos
Substitutes present for the final vote	Daniel Freund, Balázs Hidvéghi, Beata Kempa, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Carina Ohlsson, Philippe Olivier, Anne-Sophie Pelletier, Romana Tomc, Loránt Vincze
Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote	Gunnar Beck, Christophe Hansen, Ladislav Ilčić, Virginie Joron, Andrey Kovatchev, Nora Mebarek, René Repasi, Isabella Tovaglieri
Date tabled	24.3.2023

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

47	+
ECR	Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Ladislav Ilčić, Patryk Jaki, Beata Kempa, Jadwiga Wiśniewska
NI	Laura Ferrara, Balázs Hidvéghi
PPE	Vasile Blaga, Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, Lena Düpont, Christophe Hansen, Andrey Kovatchev, Jeroen Lenaers, Lukas Mandl, Nuno Melo, Paulo Rangel, Sara Skyttedal, Romana Tomc, Loránt Vincze
Renew	Abir Al-Sahlani, Malik Azmani, Anna Júlia Donáth, Sophia in 't Veld, Fabienne Keller, Moritz Körner, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Ramona Strugariu
S&D	Pietro Bartolo, Caterina Chinnici, Marina Kaljurand, Łukasz Kohut, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Nora Mebarek, Carina Ohlsson, René Repasi, Isabel Santos, Birgit Sippel, Elena Yoncheva
The Left	Malin Björk, Clare Daly, Anne-Sophie Pelletier
Verts/ALE	Patrick Breyer, Saskia Bricmont, Daniel Freund, Alice Kuhnke, Erik Marquardt, Tineke Strik

 

8	-
ID	Gunnar Beck, Patricia Chagnon, Virginie Joron, Philippe Olivier
NI	Milan Uhrík
PPE	Javier Zarzalejos
Renew	Maite Pagazaurtundúa
S&D	Maria Grapini

 

4	0
ID	Isabella Tovaglieri
PPE	Nadine Morano
Renew	Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová
S&D	Javier Moreno Sánchez

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

• [1]  Texts adopted, P8_TA(2019)0319.