(1)

On the basis of Article 17(3)(a) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 (2), Decisions SCH/Com-ex (98)56 (3) and SCH/Com-ex (99)14 (4) established the Manual of travel documents entitling the holder to cross the external borders and which may be endorsed with a visa. Those Decisions should be adapted to the institutional and legal framework of the Union.

(2)

The list of travel documents issued by third countries should be monitored systematically to ensure that Member States' authorities dealing with the processing of visa applications and with border controls have accurate information at their disposal about the travel documents presented by third-country nationals. Exchanges of information between Member States on the travel documents issued and on Member States' recognition of those travel documents, and making the entire compilation available to the public, should be modernised and made more efficient.

(3)

The purpose of the list of travel documents is twofold: on the one hand, it allows border control authorities to verify whether a given travel document is recognised for the purpose of crossing the external borders as set out in point (a) of Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 562/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 establishing a Community Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) (5); on the other hand, it allows consular staff to verify whether Member States recognise a given travel document for the purpose of affixing a visa sticker.

(4)

Under point (c) of Article 48(1) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) (6) an exhaustive list of travel documents issued by the host country should be drawn up within local Schengen cooperation.

(5)

A mechanism should be established to ensure that the list of travel documents is constantly updated.

(6)

Considering the relevance of the security of the travel documents with regard to their possible recognition, the Commission, assisted by experts of the Member States, should provide a technical assessment, where appropriate.

(7)

Member States are and should remain competent for the recognition of travel documents for the purpose of allowing the holder to cross the external borders and affixing a visa sticker.

(8)

Member States should notify their position in relation to all travel documents and endeavour to harmonise their positions on the different types of travel documents. Since a Member State's failure to notify its position with regard to a travel document may cause problems to holders of that travel document, a mechanism should be established to place an obligation on Member States to state their position on the recognition and non-recognition of such documents. That mechanism should not preclude Member States from notifying a change in their position at any given moment.

(9)

An online database containing specimens of all travel documents should be established in the long term to facilitate the examination of a given travel document by border control authorities and consular staff. That database should be kept up to date in line with any changes to previously indicated recognition or non-recognition of a given travel document by Member States.

(10)

For information purposes, the Commission should draw up a non-exhaustive list of known fantasy and camouflage passports brought to its attention by the Member States. The fantasy and camouflage passports which are on the list should not be subject to recognition or non-recognition. They should not entitle their holders to cross the external borders and should not be endorsed with a visa.

(11)

In order to ensure uniform conditions for compiling and updating the list of travel documents, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (7).

(12)

The advisory procedure should be used for drawing up and updating the list of travel documents, given that those acts merely constitute the compilation of issued travel documents.

(13)

As regards Iceland and Norway, this Decision constitutes a development of the 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 latters' association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (8), which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, points A, B and C, of Council Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on certain arrangements for the application of that Agreement (9).

(14)

As regards Switzerland, this Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation's association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (10), which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, points A, B and C, of Decision 1999/437/EC read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council Decision 2008/146/EC (11).

(15)

As regards Liechtenstein, this Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Protocol signed between the European Union, the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation's association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis, which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, points A, B and C, of Decision 1999/437/EC read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council Decision 2011/350/EU (12).

(16)

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol (No 22) on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application. Given that this Decision builds upon the Schengen acquis, Denmark shall, in accordance with Article 4 of that Protocol, decide within a period of 6 months after the Council has decided on this Decision whether it will implement it in its national law.

(17)

This Decision constitutes a development of the 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 (13); the United Kingdom is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it or subject to its application.

(18)

This Decision constitutes a development of the 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 (14); Ireland is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it or subject to its application.

(19)

As regards Cyprus, this Decision constitutes an act building upon, or otherwise related to, the Schengen acquis within the meaning of Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession.

(20)

This Decision constitutes an act building upon, or otherwise related to, the Schengen acquis within the meaning of Article 4(2) of the 2005 Act of Accession,