BRUSSELS – The European Parliament has approved a recommendation that the EU Council sign an agreement on amendments to the visa facilitation agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
A simple majority of MEPs voted for this decision in Strasbourg on Thursday.
The agreement introducing amendments to the visa facilitation
agreement between Ukraine and the EU was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada
of Ukraine on March 22, and signed by Ukrainian President Viktor
Yanukovych on April 8.
According to the document, the simplified procedure for issuing visas
applies to drivers engaged in international cargo and passenger
transportation, journalists and technical staff accompanying them,
participants of official exchange programs organized by the local
authorities, close relatives, spouses, children, parents, grandparents,
grandchildren that are visiting Ukrainian citizens living in the EU
member states, or EU citizens, as well as citizens that travel to the EU
for medical treatment.
A simplified procedure is also introduced for members of public
organizations participating in seminars and conferences, participants of
international exhibitions, conference, and symposiums, members of
religious communities, and participants of official EU programs for
cross-border cooperation.
The document stipulates that diplomatic missions and consulates of
the EU issue five-year multiple entry to the following categories of
people: members of central and local government, the Constitutional
Court and the Supreme Court, prosecutors and their deputies, permanent
members of official delegations, one of the spouses and children aged
under 21 of those who have a valid residence permit in one of the member
states, or EU citizens, and businessmen and representatives of business
entities who regularly visit EU member states.
European diplomatic missions and consulates also issue one-year
multiple entry visas to such categories of people: drivers engaged in
international transportation, crewmembers of international trains,
refrigerator trains and locomotives, people engaged in scientific,
cultural and artistic activities, participants in international sports
events and accompanying persons, participants in official exchange
programs organized by municipalities, representatives of
non-governmental organizations who regularly travel to EU member states,
and participants of the EU official programs on border cooperation.
Such visas are issued to these categories of people provided that
during the previous year they obtained at least one Schengen visa and
used it in line with the laws on entry and staying in the EU.
