eu-com-schengen-coop

taken over visa issuance for several EU MS (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and
Netherlands).
The meetings are chaired by the EU Delegation which draws up the reports. There is no co-chair.
There is no LSC (Local Schengen Cooperation) coordination outside Lusaka, since all visa issues
are only dealt with in Lusaka.
MS do generally not share the meeting minutes prepared by the EU Delegation with their capitals,
but some share the minutes with their capital if there is anything of essential importance, contrary to
instructions or a need for guidance.
3. State of play
3.1 Application of the Visa Code
Regular meetings and contacts via e-mail provide opportunities for carrying out the tasks requested
from the local Schengen under the Visa Code. The meetings deal with operational issues in relation
to the application of the common visa policy.
MS have no difficulties to fulfil tasks such as exchange visa statistics, exchanges of information on
cases of irregularities or on local travel documents. During the reporting period, significant progress
was made on the harmonisation of documents.
By the end of the reporting period, it was agreed that the EU Delegation will continuously forward
information on Visa Code updates, in addition to the information that MS embassies are provided
by their capitals.
3.2 Assessment of the need to harmonise the lists of supporting documents
The progress made in previous reporting period on the harmonization of documents was accelerated
in 2013, which enabled the LSC group in Zambia to send a draft list to DG Home in May 2013 for
comments by the Visa Committee. These comments were later addressed by the LSC group in
Zambia. The document was sent in April 2014 for further comments by the Visa Committee.
3.3 Exchange of information
The exchange of information within the LSC is regular. Meetings and other contacts within the
group provides a forum for information exchange, when relevant, on statistics and trends, cases of
irregularities; travel medical insurance etc. During the reporting period, the following were
discussed in particular:
- Visa statistics: During the first half of the reporting period, MS regularly send their visas
statistics to the EU Delegation, which compiled it for discussion. By the end of the reporting
period, it was agreed to resume this practice, and use the statistics as a basis for joint
analysis of local trends and developments in visa issuance.
- VIS System: VIS was be deployed in Zambia on 6 th June 2013, and was subject to
discussion and information exchange in the LSC group meetings as well as via e-mail
correspondence in between meetings (see 4. Challenges)
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DG D 1 A
EN