eu-com-schengen-coop

The participation of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia is not included in these figures; all three
countries have always been invited and have participated frequently. Non-Schengen Member States
Ireland and the United Kingdom equally attended as observers at most meetings.
9 th of April 2013, LSC meeting in Istanbul.
29 June in Ankara
17 th of September 2013 a donor coordination meeting (Migration, Borders) was held at the
UK Embassy. Present: EUD, UK, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Hungaria, Greece,
Bulgaria, Netherlands.
24 th of September 2013, LSC meeting in Istanbul.
1 st of October 2013, LSC meeting in Ankara.
13 th of November 2013, LSC meeting in Istanbul.
27 th of November 2013, LSC meeting in Ankara.
16 th of December 2013, Commissioner Anna Cecilia Malmström and European Commission
DG HOME Director Manservisi debriefed the EU missions in Ankara about the opening of
the Visa liberalization dialog and the Readmission agreement.
22 nd of January 2014, LSC meeting in Ankara.
28 th of January 2014, LSC meeting in Istanbul.
During the reporting period, a total of 8 meetings related to the LSC network were held: 4 in
Ankara and 4 in Istanbul.
The EUD included Edirne and Izmir MS representations into the mailing lists and equally shared
the minutes of LSC meetings and the statistics with all Schengen consulate locations in Turkey.
Schengen MS consulate staffs in other locations are free to participate in the LSC meetings
organized in Ankara and/or Istanbul.
Reports/minutes were drawn up by the EUD. The MS have been encouraged to share the LSC
meeting minutes with their central authorities. In an effort to ensure transparency, all minutes were
shared with all LSC locations in Turkey.
Lithuania as rotating Presidency in the second semester of 2013 and Greece in the first semester
2014 have had a constructive approach in both major locations.
Specific meetings were held on LSC's public policy development, notably aiming at explaining the
Schengen visa system to the wider public in a more comprehensive manner and to specifically
target businessmen associations and local chambers of commerce in different locations
throughout Turkey (see detailed description under section 3.4. Any other initiatives).
3. State of play
3.1 Application of the Visa Code – April 2013-March 2014
Given the importance and the recent EU-Turkey developments, the LSC is considered an important
platform to discuss and to harmonise MS practises. Within several discussions among the MS it
turned out that there are different interpretations and approaches in implementing the EU-Visa Code
and the Handbook for the processing of visa applications and the modification of issued visas.
These discrepancies mostly relate to the issuance of multiple-entry visas and the determination of
bona fide applicants, with the practice of several Embassies/Consulates to sign local “facilitation”
12893/14 PR/lm 178
DG D 1 A
EN