{"id":375097,"date":"2014-01-08T16:37:19","date_gmt":"2014-01-08T16:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.moldova.org\/a-step-closer-to-visa-free-travel-in-eu-for-moldovansexclusive-241007-eng\/"},"modified":"2014-01-08T16:37:19","modified_gmt":"2014-01-08T16:37:19","slug":"a-step-closer-to-visa-free-travel-in-eu-for-moldovansexclusive-241007-eng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/a-step-closer-to-visa-free-travel-in-eu-for-moldovansexclusive-241007-eng\/","title":{"rendered":"A step closer to visa-free travel in EU for Moldovans\/EXCLUSIVE"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

The draft on visa free travel regime for Moldova will be presented on Thursday, January 9, in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.<\/p>\n

Tanja Fajon is the rapporteur for the Commission’s proposal to lift visa requirements for Moldova. She will present the draft in Brussels on Thursday at 10:40 AM (local time).<\/p>\n

In an exclusive statement for Moldova.ORG, Ms. Fajon, who is member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said that Moldova is “the first Eastern partnership country that met all the requirements of their Visa Liberalization Action Plan and has come a long way.”<\/p>\n

She added that the abolishment of visas will bring tangible results for the Moldovan citizens, particularly for young people, students and all those, who have family relatives and friends in the EU Schengen countries.<\/p>\n

There are currently 26 states that are part of the Schengen zone.<\/p>\n

In November 2013 the European Commission proposed the abolishment of visa requirements for citizens of Moldova holding a biometric passport. In order to go into force, the proposal has to be debated and voted by the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of the European Union through the co-decision procedure.<\/p>\n

According to Ms. Fajon, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will have their vote by the end of February this year. The final vote will be casted in the European Parliament’s plenary session before May 2014.<\/p>\n

“I do expect a smooth debate as there is a strong political consensus that Moldova should be the next EU neighboring country that joins visa free regime, paving the way for Moldova to continue the journey towards the EU,” rapporteur Tanja Fajon told Moldova.ORG. “We plan to have a vote in the Committee at the end of February and the final vote in the EP plenary before May elections to the European Parliament.”<\/p>\n

In order the regulation to pass, a simple majority for the vote in the Committee and in the EP plenary is needed. However, it is required to reach a consensus with the Council of the European Union. That means the EU governments have to agree as well before the visa regime can actually be lifted.<\/p>\n

“The Parliament and the Council usually try to reach an agreement and have the decision adopted in the first reading,” the rapporteur said. “Nonetheless firstly the Committee in the European Parliament has to vote on the text and give a negotiating mandate to the rapporteur (for the negotiations with the Council and the Commission in a trilateral formation called "trialogue"). Then COREPER in the Council also has to reach an agreement and adopt its position which gives the way for the trialogue to begin. Once all institutions have agreed on the compromise text the Parliament adopts it in Plenary and the Ministers – in this case for Justice and Home Afairs (JHA) – in the Council.”<\/p>\n

The agreed text will enter into force 20 days after it has been published in the Journal of the European Union.<\/p>\n

According to the Member of the European Parliament, no major difficulties with its adoption should arise, given that this is a normal institutional procedure and there seems to be a strong political support for this regulation.<\/p>\n

Being asked whether Moldovan citizens will be able to travel to Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus (non-Schengen EU member states), the official said that governments of these countries “will have to abolish visa obligation for Moldova citizens.”<\/p>\n

Great Britain and Ireland do not fully apply the Schengen acquis; therefore no visa-free journeys to these countries will be allowed. However, the Moldovans will be able to travel to Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland, which are non-EU member states, but part of the Schengen zone.<\/p>\n

It is, however, important to note that Moldovans will be able to travel within the Schengen zone and the other four countries for 90 days during a six-month-long period. The opportunity to travel visa-free does not provide the citizens of Moldova the opportunity to seek employment within the Schengen countries.<\/p>\n

“Nevertheless, it presents a very important step towards EU, where the freedom of movement is the fundamental right of each citizen. I am happy to see for Moldova to become part of this success story,” Tanja Fajon said.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>According to Ms. Fajon, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will have their vote by the end of February this year. The final vote will be casted in the European Parliament\u2019s plenary session before May 2014.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":375096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-375097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

The draft on visa free travel regime for Moldova will be presented on Thursday, January 9, in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.<\/p>\n

Tanja Fajon is the rapporteur for the Commission’s proposal to lift visa requirements for Moldova. She will present the draft in Brussels on Thursday at 10:40 AM (local time).<\/p>\n

In an exclusive statement for Moldova.ORG, Ms. Fajon, who is member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said that Moldova is “the first Eastern partnership country that met all the requirements of their Visa Liberalization Action Plan and has come a long way.”<\/p>\n

She added that the abolishment of visas will bring tangible results for the Moldovan citizens, particularly for young people, students and all those, who have family relatives and friends in the EU Schengen countries.<\/p>\n

There are currently 26 states that are part of the Schengen zone.<\/p>\n

In November 2013 the European Commission proposed the abolishment of visa requirements for citizens of Moldova holding a biometric passport. In order to go into force, the proposal has to be debated and voted by the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of the European Union through the co-decision procedure.<\/p>\n

According to Ms. Fajon, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will have their vote by the end of February this year. The final vote will be casted in the European Parliament’s plenary session before May 2014.<\/p>\n

“I do expect a smooth debate as there is a strong political consensus that Moldova should be the next EU neighboring country that joins visa free regime, paving the way for Moldova to continue the journey towards the EU,” rapporteur Tanja Fajon told Moldova.ORG. “We plan to have a vote in the Committee at the end of February and the final vote in the EP plenary before May elections to the European Parliament.”<\/p>\n

In order the regulation to pass, a simple majority for the vote in the Committee and in the EP plenary is needed. However, it is required to reach a consensus with the Council of the European Union. That means the EU governments have to agree as well before the visa regime can actually be lifted.<\/p>\n

“The Parliament and the Council usually try to reach an agreement and have the decision adopted in the first reading,” the rapporteur said. “Nonetheless firstly the Committee in the European Parliament has to vote on the text and give a negotiating mandate to the rapporteur (for the negotiations with the Council and the Commission in a trilateral formation called "trialogue"). Then COREPER in the Council also has to reach an agreement and adopt its position which gives the way for the trialogue to begin. Once all institutions have agreed on the compromise text the Parliament adopts it in Plenary and the Ministers – in this case for Justice and Home Afairs (JHA) – in the Council.”<\/p>\n

The agreed text will enter into force 20 days after it has been published in the Journal of the European Union.<\/p>\n

According to the Member of the European Parliament, no major difficulties with its adoption should arise, given that this is a normal institutional procedure and there seems to be a strong political support for this regulation.<\/p>\n

Being asked whether Moldovan citizens will be able to travel to Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus (non-Schengen EU member states), the official said that governments of these countries “will have to abolish visa obligation for Moldova citizens.”<\/p>\n

Great Britain and Ireland do not fully apply the Schengen acquis; therefore no visa-free journeys to these countries will be allowed. However, the Moldovans will be able to travel to Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland, which are non-EU member states, but part of the Schengen zone.<\/p>\n

It is, however, important to note that Moldovans will be able to travel within the Schengen zone and the other four countries for 90 days during a six-month-long period. The opportunity to travel visa-free does not provide the citizens of Moldova the opportunity to seek employment within the Schengen countries.<\/p>\n

“Nevertheless, it presents a very important step towards EU, where the freedom of movement is the fundamental right of each citizen. I am happy to see for Moldova to become part of this success story,” Tanja Fajon said.  <\/p>\n

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