RESTRICTED
100564
MDHOAN 5979
46
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 23010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 702
OF 221723Z JULY 93
INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS
36
40
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 1189 AND OUR TELNO 161 TO MADRID:
EC VISA REGIMES FOR BDTCS/BNOS
You asked for advice and guidance on the Schengen Agreement and on the implications of EC visa regime policy post Maastricht for visa-free travel for Hong Kong BDTCs and BN (0)s.
EC Common List of Visa National Countries (CVL)
2. The current CVL has no formal standing, being simply a list of the approximately 70 countries on whose nationals all member states have a visa regime. There is informal understanding that member states will not remove such a requirement without first consulting partners.
Maastricht
"
Once Maastricht is ratified by all member states,
EC Common visa policy will be regulated by Article 100C of the Maastricht Treaty: begin quotation The Council acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament should determine the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders of the member states end quotation. It is reasonable to expect that responsibility for the list will pass to the Commission before the end of the year.
4. Once this happens, any expansion of the CVL will be passed by unanimous voting. This means we will have the power to block any extension to the list. But we shall lose the power of veto on 1 January 1996 from which time decisions will be based on Qualified Majority Voting, and binding on the UK.
The Schengen Convention
5.
ALL EC member states, with the exception of the UK, Ireland and Denmark are signatories to this Convention. It is due to come into effect on 1 December in respect of France, Germany, Italy and Benelux plus Spain, subject to a ministerial meeting in
1
PAGE RESTRICTED
HKD 345/3
2 8 JU: 1993