Don’t Touch my Schengen
In February 2016 EFIL co-signed, along with several or its member organisations, an open letter, initiated by JEF call upon the upon the European Council to preserve the Schengen principles.
http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2016/02/Open-letter-to-President-Tusk-on-preserving-the-Schengen-principles.pdf
Revision the regulations for the entry of third country nationals in the EU for school exchanges and volunteering
The European Commission has launched two parallel processes of revision of the visa regulations for the entry for third-country nationals in the EU: the revision of the long-term visas&residence permits, and the revision of the 3 month Schengen visa.
The European Commission has published its proposal for the revision of the directive in March 2013:
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/doc/srv?l=EN&f=ST%207869%202013%20INIT
EFIL had contributed to the consultation prior the release of the Commission’ proposal in August 2012. Click here to read EFIL’s input.
EFIL and EEE-YFU released a joint reaction to the Commission’s proposal.
Also the European Youth Forum (YFJ) and EUCIS-LLL published their positions on the Commission’s proposal. EFIL has been member of the YFJ working group on Mobility on 2013-2013, and this advocacy toolkit has bee produced:
– Proposed Amendments to the Commission proposal on the revision of the visa directive
– Frequently Asked Questions
The report of the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament has been approved by the European Parliament’s Plenary on 25th February 2014 and it takes on board the demands from EFIL and the European Youth Forum!
On 22 November 2014 the he European Youth Forum’s members have approved a Resolution on Youth Mobility calling on the National Youth Councils to help in advocating towards Member states and make sure they support the proposal from the European Commission.
The EU Council released its position on the Commission’s proposal on 9th December 2014, under the Italian Presidency of the EU (July-December 2014). The Latvian presidency will strat trialogue negotiations on it.
The European Youth Forum has released a reaction, supported by EFIL.
The European Youth Forum led a lobby mission to the German Ministry of Internal affairs in October 2015.
In October 2015 the trialogue between EU Commission, Parliament and Council is coming to an end. The European Youth Forum calls on the European Parliament to remember the amendments supported in their Report in favour of better conditions for pupils and volunteers to enter EU for learning purposes.
On 12 May 2016 the visa directive has been adopted by the Council of the EU. Unfortunately school pupils and volunteers from third-countries coming to the EU to attend learning programmes are not a mandatory target of the directive. Member states need to implement the directive by 23 May 2018.
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Revision of procedures for obtaining short-stay ‘Schengen’ visas
The public consultation was launched with deadline 17th June 2013.
EFIL submitted its contribution to the consultation, based on its experience and the feedback from members outside the Schengen area.
The European Commission proposal was published on 1st April 2014.
The European Parliament held a Public Hearing on the visa package on 17th June 2015, to prepare its report on the Commission’s proposal.
The European Parliament voted its report on the visa code recast on 25 April 2016.