UAE citizens 1 step closer for visa-free travel to EU schengen area

The European Parliaments Civil Liberties Committee Wednesday endorsed an agreement by negotiators for the EP and the Greek EU Presidency to amend an EU visa regulation.Under the agreement, citizens from 16 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Colombia and Peru should be able to travel to the EUs border-free Schengen area without a visa, noted an EP press release.The visa exemption should be reciprocated under visa-waiver agreements, enabling all EU citizens who wish to travel to these countries to do so without visas.The visa waivers for nationals of the 16 ACP countries, UAE, Colombia and Peru "shall apply from the date of entry into force of an agreement on visa exemption to be concluded with the European Union", said the statement.The 2001 EU visa regulation lists non-EU countries whose nationals need a visa to travel to the EU's border-free Schengen area (the negative list) and those whose nationals do not need a visa for this purpose (the positive list).The European Parliament suggested that the United Arab Emirates also be included in the positive list and was supported by the EU Council of Ministers and the European Commission and included in the agreement."This agreement has a double significance: on the one hand, we take a step forward towards enhanced cooperation with these countries, and on the other, we send a positive message to citizens by clarifying the criteria for including third countries in the positive list", said rapporteur Mariya Gabriel (EPP, BG), who led the negotiations for the EP. The agreement is now to be put to a vote by the European Parliament as a whole in April.