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c) Fees. There was a major difference of opinion within Schengen over the fee to be charged for the Uniform Visa. Eight states wanted a high fee, to reflect fairly closely the need to cover costs. The Germans on the other hand were sensitive to Parliamentary criticism over creating a "Fortress Europe". M. Terral thought that this would not be settled until the Ministerial in October, and even then only at the very last minute;
d) Local Cooperation. M. Terral was concerned about differing standards of control when issuing visas. They were anxious that a less than zealous approach by some partners would effectively make a mockery of the French controls. Visas were the only method of combating illegal immigration, and the potential loopholes could be an enormous problem for them. They would use their Presidency to work with partners at Posts abroad to try to ensure some form of harmonisation of standards.
4.
You took the opportunity to lobby over Hong Kong along the lines of HKD's draft telegram to Athens. You explained our particular problem over confidence in the Territory in the run up to 1997, and also during the registration period for BDTCs to become BNOs, and rehearsed with him what had transpired with the Spaniards, who had agreed to delay announcing the reintroduction of visa requirements for Hong Kong. You mentioned that other states were being lobbied to defer any new visa regime. You asked whether the decision to include Hong Kong on the Schengen CVL might be reconsidered, given that these people were British passport holders. M. Terral was sympathetic, and said that the particular problem of Hong Kong had not been addressed within the Schengen group. He was however unsighted, and asked us to let him have a piece of paper. But he saw no difficulty in us making an approach to Schengen countries to review the position. But he held out no hope that France would reconsider its own position.
5. On fees, M. Terral said that the Quai were obliged to pass to their Treasury FF600m in visa (?consular) fees this year. Anything they made over and above that, they could keep.
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R W Sindon
Migration and Visa Department
3 August 1993
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