Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. Third report on progress by Turkey in fulfilling the requirements of its visa liberalisation roadmap

The European Union launched the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue ("VLD") with Turkey on 16 December 2013, in parallel with the signature of the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement. The VLD is based on the Roadmap towards a visa free regime with Turkey, a document setting out the requirements that Turkey needs to meet in order to enable the European Parliament and the Council to amend Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 which would allow Turkish citizens holding a biometric passport in line with EU standards to travel for short stays (i.e. of 90 days within any 180-day period) in the Schengen area without a visa. The 72 requirements listed in the Roadmap are organised in five thematic groups ("blocks"): document security; migration management; public order and security; fundamental rights and readmission of irregular migrants.

On 20 October 2014, the Commission adopted its First Report on progress by Turkey in fulfilling the requirements of its visa liberalisation roadmap. The First Report assessed the fulfilment of each requirement and issued recommendations for making further progress in all of them.

On 29 November 2015 an EU-Turkey Summit took place, where the two sides agreed on modalities to deepen their cooperation notably in managing the Syrian refugee crisis and addressing irregular migration. At the Summit, the Turkish side expressed its commitment to accelerate the fulfilment of the Roadmap, including by anticipating the application of all the provisions of the EU-Turkey Readmission agreement, with the objective of obtaining visa liberalisation by October 2016. The commitment was welcomed by the EU.

On 4 March 2016 the Commission adopted its Second Report on progress by Turkey in fulfilling the requirements of its visa liberalisation roadmap, accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document (CSWD). The CSWD described the progress made by Turkey since the First Report in fulfilling each requirement, while the Second Report listed recommendations for making further progress in all of them. In addition, the CSWD also included an assessment of the possible impacts of Turkey's visa liberalisation on the migratory situation of the EU.

On 7 and 18 March 2016, meetings of Heads of State or Government of the EU and Turkey took place. The latter meeting concluded with an EU-Turkey Statement which stipulates that "the fulfilment of the visa liberalisation roadmap will be accelerated vis-à-vis all participating Member States with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016, provided that all benchmarks have been met. To this end Turkey will take the necessary steps to fulfil the remaining requirements to allow the Commission to make, following the required assessment of compliance with the benchmarks, an appropriate proposal by the end of April on the basis of which the European Parliament and the Council can make a final decision".

This Third Report presents the assessment of compliance as required in the Statement. It describes the main steps forward which Turkey has made since the Second Report to fulfil the requirements listed in the Roadmap. It also provides detailed recommendations on those measures which, by 4 May 2016, Turkey still needs to undertake in order to fulfil the last outstanding benchmarks of the Roadmap and to enable the European Parliament and the Council to adopt the legislative proposal made by the Commission.

The Third Report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document (CSWD) giving factual information on the state of play of fulfilment of each requirement. The CSWD also includes the assessment of the possible impact of visa liberalisation for Turkey on the security situation of the EU.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2016)161: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2016:161:FIN

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