Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) The process of securing visa-free privileges for Taiwanese tourists visiting the European Union is moving forward as scheduled and could be completed by the end of the year, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.
After clearing the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) with a vote of 47-1 on Oct. 26, the proposal will be sent to the next and final hurdle before implementation, said James Lee, director-general of the MOFA's Department of European Affairs, in a regular briefing.
The proposal, which will provide visa exemptions to Taiwanese tourists visiting 28 European countries, is scheduled to be deliberated in the European Parliament plenary session in Brussels Nov. 10, Lee said.
"From what I understand, the 47-1 vote in the LIBE reflects what the final outcome could be at the plenary session, " Lee said.
The 28 countries are the 25 countries of the Schengen Area, which include 22 EU member states and three-non EU states, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, as well as three non-Schengen EU member states, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus.
In a parallel procedure, Lee went on, the exemption proposal will also be screened by the Coreper II -- the Permanent Representatives Committee dealing with political, commercial, economic and institutional matters -- on Nov. 3, before being screened again by the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA).
The proposal should be adopted around the end of the year, 20 days after the JHA's approval, he said. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/MH