Berlin, Feb. 27 (CNA) Germany and other Schengen Agreement countries are considering offering visa- free treatment to Taiwan passport holders now that the United Kingdom has decided to do so starting March 3, diplomatic sources said Friday.

A Taiwanese official stationed in Germany told the Central News Agency that the German government is considering following Britain’s lead in granting visa-free privileges to Taiwanese citizens for short-term stays.

“Voices of support are growing increasingly louder in German society and a positive development is hoped for in the foreseeable future,” said the official, who refused to be identified.

The official’s remarks follow a recent statement by Maik Reichel, a German Bundestag member, who said during a recent visit in Taipei that Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior is considering whether to follow the U.K. and accord visa-free treatment to Taiwan passport holders.

The British government announced Feb. 9 that it will waive visa requirements for Taiwanese citizens for visits on business or for pleasure for up to six months, effective March 3. Britain is the first major Western country to grant such a privilege to Taiwanese nationals.

According to Reichel, the German Institute — Germany’s representative office in Taiwan — issues about 70,000 visas to Taiwanese citizens annually.

Germany is a member state of the Schengen Area — a borderless zone created by the Schengen Agreement that currently consists of 25 European countries.

Schengen countries include European Union member states, such as France, Italy and Poland, as well as such non-EU states as Switzerland and Norway.

Besides Germany, the official said, several other Schengen countries are also gauging the feasibility of waiving visa requirements for Taiwan passport holders as the measure can help boost commercial and tourist exchanges.

Guy Ledoux, director of the European Economic and Trade Office which represents EU interests in Taiwan, said in a recent interview with the Central News Agency that Taiwan’s issuance of electronic passports and its expansion of visa-free treatment for citizens from EU member states have laid the groundwork for the European Union to discuss whether its member states should reciprocate.

Schengen countries presently offer three-month visa-free privileges for citizens from several Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.

The Amsterdam Treaty incorporated the Schengen Agreement into the mainstream of European Union law. Two EU members — Ireland and the United Kingdom — do not take part in Schengen’s border control arrangements, but do participate in certain provisions relating to judicial and police cooperation.

According to the Taiwanese official, none of the Schengen countries have reached a final decision yet on the proposed visa-waiver program for Taiwan passport holders as the decision-making mechanism inside the EU is rather complex and may take a while. (By Lin Yu-li and Sofia Wu)