2004/15/EC: Council Decision of 22 December 2003 amending point 1.2 of Part II of the Common Consular Instructions and drawing up a new Annex thereto

Council Decision
of 22 December 2003
amending point 1.2 of Part II of the Common Consular Instructions and drawing up a new Annex thereto
(2004/15/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 789/2001 of 24 April 2001 reserving to the Council implementing powers with regard to certain detailed provisions and practical procedures for examining visa applications(1),
Having regard to the initiative of the French Republic,
Whereas:
(1) The possibility of a Member State being represented by another Member State in a third country, as provided for in point 1.2 of Part II of the Common Consular Instructions (CCI), is currently confined to situations where the Member State asking to be represented has no representation in that third country.
(2) Owing to the large increase in applications for entry visas into the Schengen area there is now a need, with regard to the issuing of uniform visas in third countries, for synergy in the means deployed by the Member States and for coordination and rationalisation of the location of services whose task it is to examine visa applications. It would thus appear necessary to provide for the possibility of a Member State to be represented in a third country by another Member State even when it already has representation in that third country, subject to fair distribution between the Member States.
(3) It is appropriate moreover, for reasons of transparency, to draw up a new Annex to these CCI, concerning a table of representations for issuing uniform visas.
(4) In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision, and is not bound by it or subject to its application. As this Decision builds upon the Schengen acquis under the provisions of Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark shall, in accordance with Article 5 of the said Protocol, decide within a period of six months after the Council has adopted this Decision whether or not it will transpose it in into its national law.
(5) As regards 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(2), which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point A of Council Decision 1999/437/EC on certain arrangements for the application of that Agreement(3).
(6) This Decision constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United Kingdom does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2000/365/EC of 29 May 2000 concerning the request of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis(4). The United Kingdom is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it or subject to its application.
(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 of 28 February 2002 concerning Ireland's request to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis(5). Ireland is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it or subject to its application.
(8) This Decision constitutes an act building upon the Schengen acquis or otherwise related to it within the meaning of Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession,