eu-com-schengen-coop

EUROPEAN UNION
DELEGATION TO THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
15/05/2014
LOCAL SCHENGEN COOPERATION (LSC) Uzbekistan
2013-2014 REPORT 97
1. Introduction
The Republic of Uzbekistan hosts 8 diplomatic missions issuing Schengen visa (Czech Republic,
France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland) and 2 missions applying the
Schengen policy (Romania, Bulgaria). None of the embassies are using external service providers
for collection of applications. In 2013/2014 some embassies have introduced the system of line
appointments as a tool for management of applications (GER, FR, IT). All Schengen embassies
have been using VIS since its introduction in Uzbekistan on 14/11 but experience technical
problems with quality of prints and sharing of information (see section 4. Challenges). There have
been no changes in representation arrangements in comparison to last year (see Annex 1). There are
no Schengen visa consulates outside of the capital Tashkent.
This report has been agreed with LSC members.
2. LSC meetings held in 2013-2014
As last year, LSC group continued to hold regular bi-monthly meetings and met 6 times during the
reporting period – on 15 April 2013, 27 June 2013, 16 September 2013, 31 October 2013, 28
January 2014 and 10 April 2014. The meetings are normally attended by all embassies issuing
Schengen visa in Tashkent and in some cases also by representatives of the Romanian and
Bulgarian embassies. EU Delegation prepares agenda, chairs the meetings and drafts meeting
reports. Members of the group maintain regular email contact.
LSC members created 2 ad-hoc working groups during the reporting period to provide inputs for
the preparation of harmonized list of supporting documents (groups on financial means and
lodging). In addition, ad-hoc group was set up for dealing with travel operators/travel agencies
organizing trips to countries of the Schengen area.
LSC had two meetings in 2013/2014 with participation of a third party – one with the US consul
and one with the visiting consul of Greece (based in Moscow). Contacts with other third
parties/embassies take place bilaterally and/or within the Consul Club meetings organized by
different embassies in Tashkent on bi-monthly basis.
97 April 2013 – March 2014
12893/14 PR/lm 191
DG D 1 A
EN