This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
Done at Brussels, 18 January 2011.
For the Council
The President
MATOLCSY Gy.
(1)
OJ L 308, 24.11.2010, p. 1
.
(2)
OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43
.
(3)
OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20
.
(4) The date of entry into force of the Agreement shall be published in the
Official Journal of the European Union
.
25.2.2011
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 52/34
AGREEMENT
between the European Union and Georgia on the facilitation of the issuance of visas
THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Union’,
and
GEORGIA,
hereinafter referred to as ‘the Parties’,
DESIRING to facilitate people-to-people contacts as an important condition for a steady development of economic, humanitarian, cultural, scientific and other ties, by facilitating the issuing of visas to citizens of Georgia,
REAFFIRMING the intention to establish a visa-free travel regime for their citizens as a long-term goal, provided that all the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are fullfilled,
BEARING IN MIND that, as from 1 June 2006, all citizens of the Union are exempted from the visa requirement when travelling to Georgia for a period of time not exceeding 90 days or transiting through the territory of Georgia,
RECOGNISING that if Georgia reintroduces visa requirements for the citizens of the Union or certain categories of them, the same facilitations granted under this Agreement to the citizens of Georgia would automatically, on the basis of reciprocity, apply to the citizens of the Union concerned,
BEARING IN MIND that these visa requirements can only be reintroduced for all citizens of the Union or certain categories of citizens of the Union,
RECOGNISING that visa facilitation should not lead to illegal migration and paying special attention to security and readmission,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice and the Protocol on the Schengen
acquis
integrated into the framework of the European Union, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and confirming that the provisions of this Agreement do not apply to the United Kingdom and Ireland,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and confirming that the provisions of this Agreement do not apply to Denmark,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Purpose and scope of application
1. The purpose of this Agreement is to facilitate the issuance of visas for an intended stay of no more than 90 days per period of 180 days to the citizens of Georgia.
2. If Georgia reintroduces the visa requirement for the citizens of all Member States or certain categories of citizens of all Member States, the same facilitations granted under this Agreement to the citizens of Georgia would automatically, on the basis of reciprocity, apply to the citizens of the Union concerned.
Article 2
General clause
1. The visa facilitations provided in this Agreement shall apply to citizens of Georgia only in so far as they are not exempted from the visa requirement by the laws and regulations of the Union or the Member States, this Agreement or other international agreements.