EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 12.1.2022 C(2022) 27 final

EN EN

EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

Brussels, 12.1.2022

C(2022) 27 final

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 12.1.2022

establishing adapted rules on the issuing of multiple-entry visas to Qatari nationals

residing in Qatar and applying in Qatar for short stay visas

(Only the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German,

Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian,

Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic)

EN 1 EN

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 12.1.2022

establishing adapted rules on the issuing of multiple-entry visas to Qatari nationals

residing in Qatar and applying in Qatar for short stay visas

(Only the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German,

Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian,

Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the

Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code)

, and in

particular Article 24(2b) and (2d) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 enables the Commission to adopt, where necessary,

more favourable or more restrictive rules for the issuance of multiple-entry visas in a

given third country, where, in accordance with Article 24(2b) of that Regulation by

way of derogation from its Article 24(2), Member States’ consulates have assessed

within local Schengen cooperation that the rules set out in that Article need to be

adapted to take account of local circumstances, and of migratory and security risks.

(2) The assessment conducted within local Schengen cooperation has concluded that the

rules on issuing multiple-entry visas set out in Article 24(2) of that Regulation (EC)

No 810/2009 need to be adapted for visa applications lodged with Member States’

consulates in Qatar, to take account of the local circumstances and of migratory risks.

(3) The conclusion of the assessment of the local Schengen cooperation in Qatar is that in

light of their stable socio-economic situation, Qatari nationals residing in Qatar should

be considered as not presenting a migratory risk. It is therefore justified to apply, in

respect of those applicants, more favourable rules than those provided for by Article

24(2) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, to ensure that they benefit from multiple-entry

visas with the longest possible validity.

(4) For that purpose, by way of derogation from Article 24(2), points (a), (b) and (c), a

multiple- entry visa should be issued with a period of validity corresponding to that of

the applicant's travel document minus three months.

(5) While the objective of the adapted rules set out in this Decision is to ensure

harmonised application of those rules by Member States, they should be without

prejudice to the possibility to shorten the validity period of the visa in individual cases,

in accordance with Article 24(2a) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009.

OJ L 243, 15.9.2009 p. 1.

EN 2 EN

(6) Given that Denmark decided to implement Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, which

builds on the Schengen acquis, in its national law, in accordance with Article 4 of

Protocol No 22, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the

Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is bound under international law to

implement this Decision.

(7) This Decision constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen acquis in

which Ireland does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC

;

Ireland is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by

it or subject to its application.

(8) For Iceland and Norway, this Decision constitutes a development of provisions of the

Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement concluded by the Council of

the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway

concerning the association of those two States with the implementation, application

and development of the Schengen acquis

, which fall within the area referred to in

Article 1, point B of Council Decision 1999/437/EC

(9) For Switzerland, this Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the

Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement between the European Union,

the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s

association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen

acquis

, which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point B of Decision

1999/437/EC, read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council Decision 2008/146/EC

(10) For Liechtenstein, this Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the

Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Protocol signed between the European

Union, the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of

Liechtenstein on the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Agreement

between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation

on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and

development of the Schengen acquis

, which fall within the area referred to in Article

1, point B of Decision 1999/437/EC read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council

Decision 2011/350/EU

Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 28 February 2002 concerning Ireland’s request to take part in some

of the provisions of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20).

OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 36.

Council Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on certain arrangements for the application of the

Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the

Kingdom of Norway concerning the association of those two States with the implementation,

application and development of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31).

OJ L 53, 27.2.2008, p. 52.

Council Decision 2008/146/EC of 28 January 2008 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European

Community, of the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss

Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and

development of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 53, 27.2.2008, p. 1).

OJ L 160, 18.6.2011, p. 21.

Council Decision 2011/350/EU of 7 March 2011 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union,

of the Protocol between the European Union, the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and

the Principality of Liechtenstein on the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Agreement

between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss

Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen

acquis, relating to the abolition of checks at internal borders and movement of persons (OJ L 160,

18.6.2011, p. 19).

EN 3 EN

(11) This Decision constitutes an act building upon, or otherwise related to, the Schengen

acquis within, respectively, the meaning of Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession,

Article 4(2) of the 2005 Act of Accession and Article 4(2) of the 2011 Act of

Accession.

(12) In accordance with Article 24(2d) of that Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, rules on the

issuance of multiple-entry visas in Qatar derogating from those set out in Article 24(2)

of that Regulation should therefore be adopted.

(13) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of

the Visa Committee.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. This Decision applies to visa applications for short-stay visas lodged with Member

States’ consulates in Qatar by Qatari nationals residing in Qatar.

2. By way of derogation from Article 24(2), points (a), (b) and (c), of Regulation (EC)

No 810/2009, where the applicant fulfils the entry conditions set out in Article 6(1),

points (a), (c), (d) and (e) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament

and of the Council

, a multiple-entry visa shall be issued with a period of validity

ending three months before the expiry of the validity of the applicant’s travel

document.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech

Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic,

the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Republic of Croatia, the Italian Republic, the

Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of

Luxembourg, Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic

of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, Romania, the Republic of

Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden.

Done at Brussels, 12.1.2022

For the Commission

Ylva JOHANSSON

Member of the Commission

Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of 9 March 2016 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing

a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code)

OJ L 77, 23.3.2016, p. 1.