Council Decision (EU) 2021/1940 of 9 November 2021 on the partial suspension of the application of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas

The application of the following provisions of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on the facilitation of the issuance of visas (‘the Facilitation Agreement’) is suspended: (a) Article 4(1), point (a), as regards any visa applicant who is a member of a Belarusian official delegation, including permanent members of such delegation who, following an official invitation addressed to Belarus, is to participate in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of one of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations; (b) Article 5(1), points (a) and (b), as regards any visa applicant who, in the exercise of his or her duties, is a member of national or regional Government or Parliament of Belarus, the Constitutional Court of Belarus or the Supreme Court of Belarus, as well as any visa applicant who is a permanent member of a Belarusian official delegation, who, following an official invitation addressed to Belarus, is to participate regularly in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of one of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations; (c) Article 5(2), point (a), as regards any visa applicant who is a member of a Belarusian official delegation who, following an official invitation addressed to Belarus, is to participate regularly in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations; (d) Article 6(3), points (a) and (b), as regards any visa applicant who is a member of national or regional Government or Parliament of Belarus, the Constitutional Court of Belarus or the Supreme Court of Belarus, as well as any visa applicant who is a member of a Belarusian official delegation, including permanent members of such delegation, who, following an official invitation addressed to Belarus, is to participate in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of one of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations.

The President of the Council shall, on behalf of the Union, give the notification provided for in Article 14(5) of the Facilitation Agreement not later than 48 hours before the entry into force of this Decision.

This Decision shall enter into force on the second day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.