Considerations on COM(2017)403 - Signing of the Agreement with Barbados amending the Agreement with Barbados on the short-stay visa waiver

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dossier COM(2017)403 - Signing of the Agreement with Barbados amending the Agreement with Barbados on the short-stay visa waiver.
document COM(2017)403 EN
date November  6, 2017
 
table>(1)By its Decision 2009/898/EC (1) the Council concluded the Agreement between the European Community and Barbados on the short-stay visa waiver (2) (the ‘Agreement’). The Agreement provides for visa-free travel for the citizens of the Union and for the citizens of Barbados when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party for a maximum period of 3 months during a 6-month period.
(2)Regulation (EU) No 610/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) introduced horizontal changes in the Union's visa and border acquis and defined a short stay as a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.

(3)It is necessary to incorporate this new definition into the Agreement in order to fully harmonise the Union's short-stay regime.

(4)On 9 October 2014, the Council adopted a decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations with Barbados on an agreement which amends the Agreement between the European Community and Barbados on the short-stay visa waiver (the ‘amending Agreement’).

(5)Negotiations on the amending Agreement were successfully finalised by the initialling thereof, by Exchange of Letters, on 8 February 2017.

(6)The amending Agreement should be signed, and the declarations attached to the amending Agreement should be approved, on behalf of the Union.

(7)This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2000/365/EC (4); the United Kingdom is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application.

(8)This Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which Ireland does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC (5); Ireland is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application,