3rd Interactive Session: Vladimir F. Gorovikov

"The Shengen visa - an improvement or a barrier?"

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the reasons holding back development of haulage in international road services appears to be the difficulties involved in issuing visas. Road haulage transport is lying idle because drivers could be waiting up to 30 days a year for visas to be issued. According to businesses, this loss could amount to 3'750 - 4'500 euros. If you consider that hauliers from Belarus transport loads through the territories of more than 30 states which have visa systems and that to transport loads internationally, a driver needs one or more visas to be issued, this loss could double or treble.

(Key to above diagram - Purple - visa required for entry - Green - visa not required for entry)

The resolution of the European Conference of Transport Ministers on the above question, which was adopted in Bucharest on 29 - 30 May, was aimed at simplifying the procedure for issuing visas for professional drivers.

At the same time, regardless of the principles of unification and liberalisation for issuing visas announced in the resolution, bureaucratic barriers still exist in the following areas:

1. the large amount of documents a driver is asked for to issue a visa (for example, for Italy to issue a visa requires up to 16 documents);

2. the requirement that international drivers must submit documents for the Schengen visa personally;

3. the lengthy time it takes to issue visas - from 7 to 15 days (Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia etc.);

4. the short validity period for the visas issued (Italy, Greece, Estonia - a maximum of 6 months, Croatia, Switzerland, Romania - 3 months; the Islamic Republic of Iran and FYROM - 1 month);

(Key to above:

 

5. The requirement to confirm the financial solvency of the driver - the production of 1'000 euros in traveller cheques (Italy). For this ESSO and ARIES company credit cards, which are issued to drivers every time they set out on a trip to pay for refuelling costs and to go along toll roads etc., are not recognised.

Apart from that, transporting goods from Italy into a third country in Russia, Ukraine, etc., for some reason was interpreted as an infringement of the visa system!? And as a result, hauliers were refused visas for their drivers.

When the embassies of a range of countries that were party to the Schengen Agreement (e.g. Italy and France) issued Schengen visas in 2004, they required that international drivers had to make their trips only in the territory of their states, which was the reason for refusing to issue a new Schengen visa because "the previously issued visa had not been used for a special purpose". Although we all understand that the process of transporting loads stipulates such trips and allows for expenses to be covered for each round trip, it is not possible for a driver to have a valid visa from several embassies of states that are party to the Schengen Agreement at the same time.

The complexity of the systems for issuing visas to professional drivers and the severity of consular demands significantly slows down further development of trade, which is the most mobile and long-range method of conveying loads to the territory of the single economic area.

The most long-term course of action in this area is to grant special status to professional drivers making international trips carrying loads and passengers when applying the terms of the Schengen Agreement and to abolish the requirement for this professional category to have a visa. A special passport could be accepted as grounds for crossing state borders without a visa. This passport would confirm the identity of international drivers (just like a sailor's passport) and would have to be provided for in a special international agreement.

Considering that it does not seem to be possible to abolish the requirement for a visa, it is proposed that a system be created (based on an inter-state agreement) that will simplify the procedure for drawing up visa documents for professional international drivers which will provide for:

• the issuance of multiple visas valid for a year and more with an unlimited number of journeys to and fro allowed;
• the setting up of national associations of road hauliers to act as agents for drawing up visa documents and, at the same time to be guarantors, confirming the professional status of drivers;
• a simplified procedure for obtaining visas, including the opportunity to obtain visas for a group of drivers through the national association of road hauliers without the driver having to appear in person;
• a standardised list of documents which has been reduced to the minimum required to obtain visas;
• a reduction in the time taken to issue visas for professional drivers;
• standardised prices for consular services.

I suggest that it would be worth turning our attention to the IRTA (International Road Transport Agreement) proposal to set up a working party from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Committee for internal transport to deal with visa matters. This could consist of representatives from interested countries and organisations who have the right to analyse and make proposals for harmonising and simplifying the visa procedure.

It is also possible to agree to the proposed IRTA project to harmonise the list of documents that must be produced for a visa to be issued to professional drivers in addition to a passport, a photograph and an application form:

a. Transport company:

1. A copy of the company's national registration;

2. A copy of the company's licences valid for international road haulage (issued by a competent transport body);

3. The original of a supporting letter from the employer or an international transport association.

b. Transport operations:

1. A copy of a valid permit for the trip to transport goods or passengers through the territory of the foreign state or the valid ECTM (European Conference of Transport Ministers) permit to be used for the transport operation.

2. A copy of the valid TIR carnet to be used for the transport operation.

c. Professional driver:

1. A valid national identity card (passport).

2. Valid driving licences for the heavy goods vehicle (and international driving licences if necessary).

3. A valid medical insurance policy.

It is very important that the documents produced, in accordance with the harmonised list, allow annual visas to be issued to international drivers.

Conclusion

In this way, the problems (I would say barriers) existing today with visas for professional drivers involved with international goods traffic, damage the European integration process and conflict with the principles of the free movement of goods and services across borders, equality of economic trade conditions and other principles of European economic collaboration. The complexity of systems for issuing visas to professional drivers and the severity of consular demands on professional international drivers significantly slow down further development of international road transport which is the most mobile and long-range method of international goods transport and have a negative effect on the development of international trade.

A harmonised list of documents to be produced for a visa to be issued, drawn up by the IRTA, will simplify and bring some order to the job of drawing up visas for professional drivers, and for that reason, let us call for all the measures necessary to be taken to speed up its introduction in practice.

In the long term, it is vital to start work on the recognition of special status for professional drivers transporting goods and passengers internationally by road based on the recognition of a special document, which will confirm the identity of the driver under the terms of a special international agreement (just like a "sailor's passport").

Thank you for your attention.