Visa information system VIS: establishment, information exchange between Member States

PURPOSE : to allow the development of the VIS to take place by means of Community financing as of 2004. PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision. CONTENT : The development and establishment of the Visa Information System (VIS), which is defined by the Council as a system for the exchange of visa data between Member States, requires the elaboration of a comprehensive legal framework. Since a political orientation by the Council is still required for basic elements of the VIS, a fully-fledged proposal for a legal instrument concerning the establishment of the VIS will be presented at a later stage. Such a further legal instrument will define in particular the system and its operation, including the categories of data to be entered into the system, the purposes for which they are to be entered and the criteria for their entry, the rules concerning the content of VIS records, the rights of access for authorities to enter, update and consult the data and rules on the protection of personal data and its control. Ahead of that further legal instrument, this first proposal gives to the Commission the mandate to prepare the technical development of VIS and to provide the required legislative basis to allow for the inclusion in the Community budget of the necessary appropriations for the technical development of VIS and the execution of that part of the budget. Furthermore the Commission will be assisted by the SIS II committee in accordance with the management procedures. It is appropriate to use that existing Committee in particular in view of synergies between the VIS and SIS II as well as of the general concern to rationalise the number of committees. The main points of the proposal are as follows: -a system for the exchange of visa data between Member States, to be known as "the Visa Information System" (VIS) will be established. The VIS will allow entry and up-dating of visa data and the consultation of the data electronically by authorised national authorities, which will be defined in the second legal instrument. -the VIS will be based on a centralised architecture. It will consist of a "Central Visa Information System" (CS-VIS), an interface in each Member State ("National Interface" - NI-VIS), which will provide the connection to the relevant central national authority of the respective Member State, and the communication infrastructure between the Central Visa Information System and the National Interfaces. - the Commission will develop the VIS as defined. The national infrastructures beyond the National Interfaces will be developed by the Member States. - the measures necessary for the development of VIS will be taken in accordance with the management procedure set out in Council Decision 1999/468/EC; -the measures are described in the draft decision. They include the design of the physical architecture of the system including its communication network; technical aspects of the use of the system, including the confidentiality, transmission, storage and deletion of information; technical aspects of the testing and deployment of the system; and technical aspects of the migration, integration and support. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : Budget lines and headings: 18.08.03 Visa Information System Total allocation for action: EUR 30 million for commitment until 2006. Period of application: Undetermined duration: 2004-2006: Development costs 2007-2009 and subsequent years: Exploitation costs The amounts foreseen for the period 2004-2006 are compatible with the programming under the existing financial perspectives. The amounts related to 2007-2009 and subsequent years are indicative and subject to the programming under the new financial perspectives. Total staff: 8 Overall financial impact of human resources: EUR 734 000 - total expenditure for twelve months. Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action (meetings etc): EUR 881 000 total expenditure for twelve months. In 2004 only a quarter will be spend, with complete yearly expenditure from 2005 until 2009. The total impact on staff and administrative expenditure is therefore EUR 1 615 000. The duration being at least 5,25 years, the overall total amount on staff and administration is EUR 8 478 750.�