European travel document: MEPs and ministers strike informal deal

The European Parliament reached an informal agreement with the Council of the European Union on 23 June 2016 regarding a standard European travel document to speed the return of non-EU nationals staying 'irregularly' in member states without valid passports or identity cards. A key goal during the talks was to increase third countries’ acceptance of the document through improved technical details.

The document still needed formal endorsement by the Parliament and the Council. The parliament's civil liberties committee had approved its negotiating position in May 2016, following the European Commission's presentation of the proposal in December 2015.