Council Regulation (EC) No 333/2002 of 18 February 2002 on a uniform format for forms for affixing the visa issued by Member States to persons holding travel documents not recognised by the Member State drawing up the form

• CELEX: Regulation (EC) No 333/2002
• Articles: 10

Article 1

1. For the purposes of this Regulation, "form for affixing a visa" shall mean the document issued by the authorities of a Member State to the holder of a travel document which is not recognised by that Member State, to which its competent authorities affix a visa.

2. The form for affixing a visa shall correspond to the model set out in the Annex.

3. Where the holder of a form for affixing a visa is accompanied by his or her dependant(s), it shall be for each Member State to decide whether separate visa sheets should be issued to the principal and each of his or her dependant(s).

Article 2

The technical specifications applicable to the uniform format for forms for affixing a visa and the specifications relating to the following shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 5(2):

(a) security features and requirements, including enhanced anti-forgery, counterfeiting and falsification standards;

(b) procedures and technical methods to be used for filling in the uniform form for affixing a visa.

Article 3

The specifications referred to in Article 2 shall be secret. They shall be made available only to the bodies designated by the Member States for printing the uniform format and to persons duly authorised by a Member State or the Commission.

Each Member State shall designate one body having responsibility for printing the uniform format for forms. It shall communicate the name of that body to the Commission and the other Member States. The same body may be designated by two or more Member States. Each Member State shall be entitled to change its designated body. It shall inform the Commission and the other Member States accordingly.

Article 4

Without prejudice to data protection rules, persons to whom the uniform format for forms is issued shall have the right to verify the personal particulars contained in the uniform format for forms and, where appropriate, to ask for any corrections or deletions to be made.

No information in machine-readable form shall be given on the uniform format for forms, unless provided for in the Annex, or unless it is mentioned in the relevant travel document.

Article 5

This Regulation shall not affect the competence of Member States with regard to the recognition of States and territorial units and passports, travel and identity documents issued by their authorities.

Article 6

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee set up by Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1683/95.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two months.

3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 7

Where Member States use the uniform format for forms for purposes other than those covered by Article 1, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure that no confusion is possible with the form defined in Article 1.

Article 8

The Member States shall use the uniform format for forms for affixing a visa no later than two years after the adoption of the measures referred to in Article 2(a). However, the validity of authorisations granted already and issued in another format shall not be affected by the introduction of the uniform format for forms for affixing a visa, unless the Member State concerned decides otherwise.

Article 9

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Done at Brussels, 18 February 2002.

For the Council

The President

J. Piqué i Camps

(1) OJ C 180 E, 26.6.2001, p. 301.

(2) Opinion delivered on 12 December 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(3) OJ L 164, 14.7.1995, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.

(5) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

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