Immigration Ministers' Meeting
01 January 1991
Immigration Ministers' Meeting
bacdoc October=1991
Hansard 20.6.91 cols 242-3
Sir John Wheeler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home
Department if he will make a statement about the meetings of
Trevi and European Community Immigration Ministers in Luxembourg
on 13 and 14 June.
Mr. Kenneth Baker: The meeting of Ministers concerned with
immigration was the tenth in the series of meetings held towards
the end of each presidency since 1986.
Discussion at the Immigration Ministers' meeting focused on
the draft external frontiers convention. Ministers welcomed the
progress made in negotiations under the Luxembourg Presidency and
concentrated on outstanding issues. The external frontiers
convention, the provisions of which are described in more detail
later, provides for agreed standards of immigration control over
third country nationals at the external frontiers of the European
Community, supported by a computerised list of those who are
inadmissible. It contains provisions relating to visas,
including the mutual recognition by other member states of visas
issued for short visits by one member state. In addition it
provides for travel without visas between EC member states by
third country nationals lawfully resident in an EC country in
circumstances in which they would otherwise require visas. The
convention further envisages the harmonisation of the visa
policies of EC member states in due course. Difficulties arose
over provisions in the draft convention for the controls to be
exercised at airports within the European Community. Discussion
of the draft convention continues.
The meeting of Trevi Ministers endorsed various further
measures to strengthen practical police cooperation developed
during the Luxembourg Presidency, in particular with regard to
posting of liaison officers within and outside the EC;
cooperation on police training; continued work on the creation
of a European drugs intelligence unit and the establishment of
a European police information system to combat serious crime.
Detailed work on the establishment of a permanent secretariat for
Trevi, which was led by the United Kingdom, was fully considered
and a decision on the location will be taken during the Dutch
Presidency.
Draft convention of the member states of the European
Communities on the crossing of their external borders:
Summary of provisions
Article 1: defines the terms used in the convention.
Articles 2-5: outline the general nature of controls to be
applied at the external frontiers of the European
Community.
Article 6: establishes the system for the application of
controls at airports.
Article 7: sets out the conditions of entry to member
states in respect of short stays.
Article 8: enables non-EC nationals who are lawfully
resident in the European Community, to make a short visit
or transit another member state without having to obtain a
visa.
Article 9: Confirms that admission for stays in excess of
three months is subject to national legislation.
Articles 10-13: provide for the establishment of a
computerised common list of inadmissible and non-EC
nationals and lay down principles for the treatment of
non-EC nationals who do not meet the criteria for entry.
Article 14: requires member states to adopt carriers'
liability provisions.
Articles 15 and 16: provide for the removal of illegal
entrants and overstayers.
Article 17: confirms the member states' commitment to
establish a harmonised visa policy.
Articles 18-25: provide for member states to mutually
recognise each others short stay visas and, in the longer
term, for the introduction of a uniform visa valid for
travel throughout the European Community.
Article 26: establishes an executive committee