LEGISLATIVE ACTS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Subject: Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Colombia on the short stay visa waiver 12094/15 DGD 1 RD/DOS/vm EN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA ON THE SHORT-STAY VISA WAIVER THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as “the Union” or “the EU”, and THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA, hereinafter referred to as “Colombia”, hereinafter referred to jointly as the “Contracting Parties”, WITH A VIEW TO further developing friendly relations between the Contracting Parties and desiring to facilitate travel by ensuring visa-free entry and short stay for their citizens, HAVING REGARD to Regulation (EU) No 509/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Council 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 requirement1 by, inter alia, transferring 19 third countries, including Colombia, to the list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for short stays in the Member States, BEARING IN MIND that Article 1 of Regulation (EU) No 509/2014 states that for those 19 countries, the exemption from the visa requirement shall apply from the date of entry into force of an agreement on visa exemption to be concluded with the Union, DESIRING to safeguard the principle of equal treatment of all EU citizens, 1 OJEU L 149, 20.5.2014, p. 67. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that persons travelling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity during their short stay are not covered by this Agreement and therefore for that category the relevant rules of Union law and national law of the Member States and the national law of Colombia on the visa obligation or exemption and on the access to employment continue to apply, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice and the Protocol on the Schengen acquis integrated into the framework of the European Union, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and confirming that the provisions of this Agreement do not apply to the United Kingdom and Ireland, HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
