TNAG-2951-FCO40-4228-Hong-Kong-visa-free-travel-for-British-Nationals-(Overseas)--1993 — Page 43

25-AUG 1993 09:05

UKREP EC BRUSSELS

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FCO TEĽNO 196 TO ATHENS: INCLUSION OF HONG KONG ON COMMON VISA LIST OF SCHENGEN COUNTRIES

SUMMARY

1. THE COMMISSION ARE WORKING ON THE DRAFT DIRECTIVE ESTABLISHING AN EC WIDE VISA REGIME, AND WILL GIVE A THE PROGRESS REPORT TO THE VISA SUBGROUP ON 7 SEPTEMBER. COMMISSION DID NOT KNOW OF THE PROPOSAL TO INCLUDE HONG KONG IN THE SCHENGEN LIST.

DETAIL

2.

ON HIS RETURN FROM LEAVE, WE SPOKE TO

SPOKE TO FORTESCUE (COMMISSION SECRETARIAT-GENERAL) ABOUT COMMISSION WORK ON THE DIRECTIVE AND COMMON VISA LIST (CVL) WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE AGREED UNDER ARTICLE 100C EEC (AS AMENDED BY THE MAASTRICHT TREATY). (FORTESCUE'S DIRECTORATE CO-ORDINATES COMMISSION POLICY ON THE MATTERS COVERED BY THE INTERIOR AND HOME AFFAIRS PROVISIONS OF THE MAASTRICHT TREATY).

3.

ACCORDING TO FORTESCUE, THE COMMISSION ARE WORKING ON A DRAFT DIRECTIVE UNDER ARTICLE 100C, BUT NO FORMAL PROPOSAL WILL BE MADE UNTIL AFTER THE MAASTRICHT TREATY HAS ENTERED INTO FORCE. HOWEVER, THE COMMISSION (AT THE REQUEST OF THE BELGIAN PRESIDENCY) INTEND TO GIVE AN INFORMAL PROGRESS REPORT TO THE MEETING OF THE VISA SUBGROUP SCHEDULED FOR 7 SEPTEMBER. THE COMMISSION HOPE THIS WILL PROVOKE A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUES IN THIS AREA, SO THAT THE COMMISSION WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE VIEWS OF MEMBER STATES FULLY INTO ACCOUNT IN ANY FORMAL PROPOSALS THEY EVENTUALLY MAKE.

4.

WE MENTIONED TO FORTESCUE (ON AN INFORMAL BASIS) THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 OF TUR. HE WAS SURPRISED THAT HONG KONG HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SCHENGEN LIST. HIS INITIAL (PERSONAL) VIEW WAS THAT A SIMILAR DIFFICULTY WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO ARISE IN RELATION TO A DIRECTIVE UNDER ARTICLE 100C: A CVL UNDER ARTICLE 100C WOULD DRAW MORE HEAVILY ON WORK ALREADY DONE AMONG THE TWELVE, THAN ON ANYTHING AGREED IN THE SCHENGEN FRAMEWORK.

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