ORIGINS OF THE EU VISA POLICY Sample Clauses

ORIGINS OF THE EU VISA POLICY. The EU competence with regard to visa is the result of a gradual development. The basis of the EU Visa Policy is to be found in the Schengen acquis, consisting of the 1985 Schengen Agreement185 and the 1990 Convention implementing the former agreement186, providing for the removal of systematic border controls between the participating countries. The Schengen Agreement envisaged a harmonisation of visa policies, focussing on three essential elements: common arrangements relating to third states whose nationals were subject to a visa requirement, the notion of a uniform visa valid for the entire territory of the contracting parties and uniform criteria for issuing visa.187 This policy was developed outside the EC framework by only five states.188 Even with the establishment of the European Union with the Treaty of Maastricht189 the visa policy remained largely outside the EU framework. Only article 100c TEC Maastricht dealt with visa.190 185 Agreement between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders [1985] OJ L239/13. 186 Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders [1990] OJ L239/19. 187 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, ‘Visa Policy and EU External Relations’ in Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx xxx Xxxxx (ed), Justice, Liberty, Security: New Challenges for EU External Relations (VUB Press 2008) 25. 188 The states being Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Germany. Xxxx Xxxxx, ‘Toegang tot en kort verblijf in België’ (2011) 2 Tijdschrift voor Vreemdelingenrecht 90, 91. 189 Treaty on European Union [1992] OJ C191/01. 190 It provided that the EC could determine the countries of which nationals have to be in possession of a visa to cross the Schengen borders. From 1996 onwards that provision even would be implemented by qualified majority voting.