Will Ireland this time sign the Schengen Agreement or still remained outsiding 'Observer' in the EU

national | eu | opinion/analysis Monday December 08, 2003 05:53 by EDN - EDN e.V. duthelonline at int dot ms http://www.duthel.de

Is Ireland depending on the United Kingdom EU Politic?

(This may be not so much of Interest of Indymedia Ireland,but since peoples stay in other meber states of the EU and want's to visit Ireland,but their family is not 'EU' Visa rules applies stronger then enter any known faschist nations. It is shooking to believe Ireland is in the EU.Visa rules are more discriminationg then to enter the US with a Irak Passport!http://www.botschaft-irland.de/english/Default.htm

Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1st January to 31st June 2004. This will be our sixth Presidency and is likely to be the most challenging to date.

Ireland, as Presidency, must take responsibility for moving forward the EU agenda across the range of policy areas. We will have responsibility for preparing, coordinating and chairing over 2000 meetings at all levels. These will include two meetings of the European Council which will be chaired in Brussels by the Taoiseach, meetings of the Council of Ministers chaired by members of the Government and a large number of meetings between the EU and countries in other parts of the world at summit, Ministerial and official level.

Several of these meetings will, as is customary, take place in Ireland. Beginning with the visit of the European Commission to Dublin in early January, the traditional “launch” event of any Presidency, we expect to host a number of summit level meetings as well as Ministerial and official level meetings. In line with Government policy we have tried to spread these meetings as widely as possible throughout Ireland. We are also working to ensure that local communities are as involved as possible in Presidency events where these are taking place in their areas. The list of Presidency related meetings taking place in Ireland is available in the Dáil Library and can also be downloaded from the Department of Foreign Affairs website at www.irlgov.ie/iveagh/

As the Programme for Government made clear, Ireland’s key objective in this area is to run an effective and impartial Presidency. Apart from the priority issues of enlargement and the new Constitutional Treaty, we will seek to revitalise and bring greater dynamism to the Union’s ongoing agenda of economic, social and environmental reform which will be the main focus of the Spring European Council in March 2004. Our approach will be greatly influenced by our successful experience of social partnership which has yielded such beneficial results on a national basis. In the Justice and Home Affairs we will be working hard to ensure that the ambitious targets set out in the Tampere Agenda for completion of an area of Freedom, Justice and Security, are fulfilled in line with the established deadline of 1 May 2004.

On the international front, Ireland as the EU Presidency, will take the lead in managing the EU’s engagement with the rest of the world. The role of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, which I will Chair, is central in this respect. In our conduct of the Presidency, Ireland will draw on the principles and traditions which have always guided our foreign policy. Conflict prevention and EU-UN relations will feature prominently in our work, as the EU continues to develop and improve its capacity to contribute to international efforts to prevent and manage crises. The Middle East Peace process will be a priority for the EU under our stewardship. Counter terrorism and non proliferation are concerns around the world and the EU will play its part during our Presidency to address them. EU-US relations which are so important to a stable and prosperous international climate will also feature prominently as will relations with Russia and the EU’s neighbours to the south and east. The EU’s role in ensuring peace and stability in the Western Balkans will continue into our Presidency, not least through the peace operations which the EU has or will be preparing to undertake in the region. I will host meetings in Ireland of my EU colleagues and Ministers from the Mediterranean region (EUROMED) and from Asia (ASEM). Summit level meetings at Prime Minister or Head of State level are also planned with Latin America and the Caribbean, Russia, Canada, the United States and Japan.

Development issues, HIV/AIDS and conflict and famine in Africa will be a particular focus of attention. We will work to promote an EU development policy which focuses on poverty reduction and eradication. It is also our intention to press for a more coherent and focused response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, and to this effect we will be organizing a major high level conference in Dublin to highlight this issue.

These are ambitious but realistic plans. The effective day to day management of this vast agenda would for any Member State constitute a successful Presidency. As in the past however we would hope that Ireland can do more than that. Planning is of course essential if we are to achieve our aims and I am pleased to say that our preparations are well in hand. What we need now is for everyone to work together and, in the spirit of partnership which has marked our past Presidencies, for all involved to go that extra mile so that once again we can show, that, within the EU, small countries can also play their part in a pa
rtnership of equal states working together for the good of the Union and its people.

SAME AS TO ENTER THE USA! AND THIS IN EUROPE!
Visas

If you are normally resident in Germany, you may apply either to the Embassy or to one of our Honorary Consulates (exept Frankfurt) for an entry visa.

Do I need a visa?
Citizens of countries not on the attached list require visas to enter Ireland.

Please note that Ireland is not a member of Schengen and Schengen visas are not valid for travel to Ireland.

How do I apply?
Application forms are available from the Embassy or Honorary Consulates.
Applications may be made either by post or by calling in person. Faxed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted.

You will need to complete the application form fully and return it to the Embassy or Consulate together with:
-your passport and German residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) which should be valid for at least 6 months after the date on which you intend to return from Ireland.
-three recently-taken passport-size colour photographs
-visa processing fee
-supporting documentation

We will endeavour to process your application as quickly as possible. However, certain applications may have to be referred to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in Dublin for decision. To avoid incurring costs for delayed or cancelled journeys, for which we accept no liability, you should therefore submit your application to the Embassy or Consulate at least five weeks in advance of the intended date of travel. You can help to speed up consideration of your application by completing the form fully and by submitting all relevant supporting documentation at the outset.

Working Visa and Work Authorisation Scheme (expanded with effect from 20 May 2002)

The growth of the Irish economy in recent years is resulting in shortages of skilled employees in some sectors such as information and computing technologies, construction professionals and across a broad range of medical, health and social care professions (including Medical Practitioners, nurses, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, physiotherapists, social workers).

To facilitate the recruitment of suitably qualified people from non-EEA* countries for designated sectors of the employment market where skill shortages are particularly acute, a Working Visa and Work Authorisation scheme has been introduced. This makes it possible for prospective employees with job offers from employers in Ireland to obtain immigration and employment clearance in advance from Irish Embassies and Consulates. (The issue of a Working Visa or Work Authorisation does not give the holder an automatic right to enter Ireland as Immigration Officers retain discretion in specified circumstances to refuse entry to any non-national.)
(*European Economic Area comprises EU member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.)

Applications for Working Visas and Work Authorisations are accepted from persons outside the country only. Applications must normally be made through the Irish Embassy/Consulate in the applicant`s country of permanent residence and applicants may be required to attend for personal interview. For further information on working visas and work authorisations, please see the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Visa FAQs

Q: I am a visa-required national and I wish to take my child with me to Ireland. Do they require a visa?

A: Assuming that the child is of the same nationality as you, yes. However, if the child is under 16 years of age, is travelling with you and is named on your passport, then you do not need to submit a separate visa application for them; the visa which is entered on your passport will cover them also. However, if the child is travelling on their own passport, then a separate application will have to be made and the child will have to have a visa entered in their passport.

Q:I see that my visa, which is a single-entry visa is valid for three months. Does this mean that I can stay in Ireland for three months?

A:No-a visa is a form of pre-entry clearance only and does not grant permission to enter Ireland. The immigration officer at the port of entry has the authority to grant or deny admission. When the immigration officer grants entry permission, they will indicate the length of time that you can stay in Ireland by stamping this in your passport. The date of validity shown on your visa indicates only the date before which it must be presented to an immigration officer.

Q: I am temporarily in Germany and hold a Schengen visa. Can I travel to Ireland on this visa?

A: No. While Ireland is a member of the EU, Ireland is not in Schengen and you will need to apply for a visa. The visa application should where possible be made in your country of permanent residence.




SCHENGEN AGREEMENT:
Parties to the Schengen Agreement:

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

History and Development of the Schengen Agreement

On 14 June 1985 the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the Schengen Agreement (Schengen being a place in Luxembourg) on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders.

On 19 June 1990 the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement was signed. Its key points relate to measures designed to create, following the abolition of common border checks, a common area of security and justice. Specifically it is concerned with:

harmonizing provisions relating to entry into and short stays in the Schengen area by non-EU citizens (uniform Schengen visa);
asylum matters (determining in which Member State an application for asylum may be submitted);
measures to combat cross-border drugs-related crime;
police cooperation (hot pursuit);
cooperation among Schengen states on judicial matters.
The Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement entered into force on 1 September 1993; its provisions could not take practical effect, however, until the necessary technical and legal prerequisites (such as data banks and the relevant data protection authorities) were in place. The Convention thus took practical effect on 26 March 1995 for the original Parties to the Schengen Agreement as well as for Spain and Portugal. Since 1995 Italy, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden have acceded to the Convention, which only entered into force for the three Nordic countries on 25 March 2001. A Schengen cooperation agreement was concluded with the non-EU members of the Nordic Passport Union (Norway and Iceland) in 1996. Norway and Iceland have also fully implemented the Schengen regime since 25 March 2001.

Once checks at common borders are completely abolished, the holder of a uniform visa is entitled to stay in the above-mentioned 15 countries which apply the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement for a maximum of up to 90 days per six-month period during the visa's period of validity.

Key Points of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement

Citizens of countries implementing the Schengen Agreement (see item 1) can cross the internal borders of the implementing countries at any point without checks.
A visa with no territorial restrictions (visitor's or business visa allowing the holder to stay up to 90 days per six-month period, transit or airport visa) granted to a third-country national by one implementing country entitles the holder, for the same purpose and for the duration of the visa's validity, to enter without border checks other implementing countries as well.
Any third-country national with a residence permit valid in one implementing country may travel on a valid passport, without requiring a visa, for up to 90 days per six-month period to other implementing countries.
Harmonized visa policies of Schengen countries (common list of third countries whose nationals require visas).
External border checks according to a common Schengen standard.
Access by all Schengen countries to the Schengen Information System (SIS) providing personal identity and other data throughout the Schengen area.
Close police and judicial cooperation.
Joint efforts to combat drug-related crime.
Rules determining competence for asylum procedures (now largely replaced by similar provisions in the Dublin Convention of 15 June 1990).
Incorporation of the Schengen Agreement into the European Union

As from 1 May 1999 the Schengen Protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam of 2 October 1997 incorporated Schengen cooperation into the framework of the EU.

The European Community thus acquired competence for large areas of the Schengen acquis (the Schengen Agreement and the various provisions adopted in this context) as well as its further development. For Britain, Ireland and Denmark special arrangements have been made. Although Britain and Ireland are not parties to the Schengen Agreement, they can, with the approval of the EU Council, apply the Schengen acquis in whole or in part and participate in its further development. Denmark will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to participate, under international law, in the further development of the acquis and to incorporate into its national law also Community law developed without its participation.

The cooperation agreements between the implementing countries and Norway and Iceland respectively have been replaced by association agreements with the EU, very similar in content, concluded on the basis of the Treaty of Amsterdam.

For EU citizens and third country nationals living in the EU the Schengen Agreement has resulted in substantially increased freedom of travel and improved safety within the Schengen countries and at their external border.

Selected legal provisions relating to the Schengen Agreement

1. Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the Gradual Abolition of Checks at their Common Borders: Joint Ministerial Gazette 1986, p. 79 ff.

2. Convention of 19 June 1990 Implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the Gradual Abolition of Checks at their Common Borders (Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement): Federal Law Gazette II 1993, p. 1013 ff.

3. Act of 15 July 1993 on the Schengen Agreement of 19 June 1990 on the Gradual Abolition of Checks at the Common Borders: Federal Law Gazette II 1993, p. 1010 ff.

4. Notification of 14 June 1985 of the Entry into Force of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the Gradual Abolition of Checks at their Common Borders: Federal Law Gazette II 1994, p. 631 ff.