European parliament’s committee votes in favor of lifting visa requirements for Georgian citizens
06.09.2016,
10:26
European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted on September 5 in favor of a proposal to lift visa requirements in the Schengen area for Georgian citizens holding biometric passports, news agencies reported.
YEREVAN, September 6. /ARKA/. European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted on September 5 in favor of a proposal to lift visa requirements in the Schengen area for Georgian citizens holding biometric passports, news agencies reported.
The proposal was backed by the LIBE committee with 44 votes to 5, paving the way for the plenary vote in the European Parliament.
It is not yet clear when the proposal will be put on vote in the European Parliament plenary. The issue is not included in a draft agenda of the next plenary sitting of the European Parliament, scheduled for September 12-15. Following sessions in the plenary are scheduled for October 3-6 and then for October 24-27, civil.ge reported.
In parallel, the proposal for lifting visa requirements in the Schengen area for Georgian citizens requires approval from the council of EU home affairs and justice ministers, which failed to agree on the issue in June after last-minute objection from Germany, dashing Tbilisi’s hopes to finalize the process in summer.
MEPs from the LIBE committee also voted in favor of opening inter-institutional negotiations on Georgia’s visa waiver proposal – a legislative procedure when the European Parliament enters into negotiations on a legislative proposal with other EU institutions, including the Council, whose approval is also required for the visa liberalisation to enter into force.
Also on September 5 LIBE committee voted narrowly in favor of visa waiver for Kosovo – 25 were in favor and 24 against. Opening of the inter-institutional negotiations on Kosovo’s visa liberalisation file, however, was rejected by the committee. -0-
The proposal was backed by the LIBE committee with 44 votes to 5, paving the way for the plenary vote in the European Parliament.
It is not yet clear when the proposal will be put on vote in the European Parliament plenary. The issue is not included in a draft agenda of the next plenary sitting of the European Parliament, scheduled for September 12-15. Following sessions in the plenary are scheduled for October 3-6 and then for October 24-27, civil.ge reported.
In parallel, the proposal for lifting visa requirements in the Schengen area for Georgian citizens requires approval from the council of EU home affairs and justice ministers, which failed to agree on the issue in June after last-minute objection from Germany, dashing Tbilisi’s hopes to finalize the process in summer.
MEPs from the LIBE committee also voted in favor of opening inter-institutional negotiations on Georgia’s visa waiver proposal – a legislative procedure when the European Parliament enters into negotiations on a legislative proposal with other EU institutions, including the Council, whose approval is also required for the visa liberalisation to enter into force.
Also on September 5 LIBE committee voted narrowly in favor of visa waiver for Kosovo – 25 were in favor and 24 against. Opening of the inter-institutional negotiations on Kosovo’s visa liberalisation file, however, was rejected by the committee. -0-
