Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the position to be taken within the Joint Committee set up under the Agreement between the European Union and Azerbaijan on the facilitation of the issuance of visas

Background and further information:

The Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan to facilitate the issuing of visas entered into force on 1 January 2014. The Agreement established, on the basis of reciprocity, legally binding rights and obligations to simplify procedures for issuing visas to the citizens of the European Union and of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Article 12 of the Agreement set up a Joint Committee whose tasks include monitoring the implementation of the Agreement. The Joint Committee noted the need for common guidelines to ensure that the consulates of Azerbaijan, as well as those of the Member States which are Parties to the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, apply the provisions of the Agreement in an entirely consistent way and to clarify the relationship between the Agreement and the other legal provisions of the contracting parties that continue to apply to visa issues not covered by the Agreement.

These Guidelines are not part of the Agreement and are not legally binding. However, it is highly recommended that diplomatic and consular staff abide by them in a consistent fashion.