L 167/8 Official Journal of the European Union 20.6.2006 DECISION No 896/2006/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 14 June 2006 establishing a simplified regime for the control of persons at the external borders based on the unilateral recognition by the Member States of certain residence permits issued by Switzerland and Liechtenstein for the purpose of transit through their territory THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 62(2)(a) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those who are nationals are exempt from that requirement (}) must apply for a visa when they transit the common area on return to their country of origin. As a result, the consular offices of the Member States in Switzerland have to deal with large numbers of visa applications submitted by such third- country nationals. Similar difficulties have occurred as regards applications for visas by holders of residence permits issued by Liechtenstein. S ] ) ) ) (4 As a result of the two-step implementation of the Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article Schengen acquis, new Member States that acceded to 251 of the Treaty ('), the European Union on 1 May 2004 are required, from that date, to issue national visas to third-country nationals who hold a residence permit issued by Swit- zerland and Liechtenstein and who are subject to a visa Whereas: obligation pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 539/2001. Some of the new Member States have voiced concerns as to the additional administrative burden this will place on their consulates in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. (1) Pursuant to Article 21 of the Convention of 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual (5) It does not appear necessary for Member States to require gbohtlon of checks at their common borders () (hfere— this category of persons to hold a visa, as they represent ma.fter referre{l o as the ~ Schengen COI’IVC.I’I'[IOH) a low risk of illegal immigration for the Member States. residence permits issued by Member States fully imple- menting the Schengen acquis are to be mutually recognised as equivalent to the uniform visa. (6)  In order to address the situation in the consular offices in (2)  The current Community rules do not, however, provide Switzerland and Liechtenstein both of Member States for a simplified regime for the control of persons at the fully implementing the Schengen acquis and of new external borders whereby the residence permits issued by Member States, a simplified regime should be introduced third countries would be recognised as equivalent to the for the control of persons at the external borders based uniform visa for the purpose of transit through, or a on the unilateral recognition of certain residence permits short stay in, the common area. issued by the authorities of Switzerland and Liechtenstein as equivalent to uniform or national visas. (3)  Third-country nationals who hold a resident permit issued by Switzerland and who are subject to a visa obligation under Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 . o of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose (7)  Such recognition should be limited to the purpose of (") Opinion of the European Parliament of 6 April 2006 (not yet transit and should not affect the possibility of Member States to issue visas for a short-term stay. published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 1 June 2006. () OJ L 81, 21.3.2001, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation () OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, p. 19. (EQ) No 851/2005 (O] L 141, 4.6.2005, p. 3).