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

The European Parliament adopted the report by Carlos COELHO (EPP-ED, P) on the creation of a Visa Information System (VIS) which recommends that this proposal should be withdrawn. The proposal was referred back to the Citizens' Rights Committee. The European Parliament calls on the Commission to submit a new proposal. The Commission stated that it plans to table a proposal later in 2004 on the content of the VIS and Parliament will have power of co-decision in it. The Commission states that the financing for VIS needs to be sorted now in order for it to be eligible for funding from the 2004 EU budget. The Parliament disagrees, insisting that the two issues, funding and content, cannot be divorced.�