The Seville European Council on 21 and 22 June 2002 considered the establishment of a common identification system for visa data as a top priority and called for its introduction, as soon as possible, in the light of a feasibility study and on the basis of guidelines adopted by the Council on 13 June 2002.

On 5 and 6 June 2003 the Council welcomed the feasibility study, as presented by the Commission in May 2003, confirmed the objectives for a VIS as set out in the guidelines and invited the Commission to continue its preparatory work on the development of the VIS in cooperation with Member States on the basis of a centralised architecture, taking into account the option of a common technical platform with the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II).

The European Council in Thessaloniki on 19 and 20 June 2003 deemed it necessary that, following the feasibility study, orientations should be determined as soon as possible, with regard to the planning for the development of the VIS, and the appropriate legal basis which will permit its establishment, and the engagement of the necessary financial means.

This Decision constitutes the required legal basis to allow for the inclusion in the general budget of the European Union of the necessary appropriations for the development of VIS and the execution of that part of the budget, including preparatory measures necessary for biometric features to be incorporated at a later stage in accordance with the Council conclusions of 19 February 2004 .

Since the objective of this Decision, namely the development of a common VIS, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale and impact of the action, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve this objective.

This Decision respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is therefore not bound by it or subject to its application. As this Decision builds upon the Schengen acquis under the provisions of Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark shall, in accordance with Article 5 of the said Protocol, decide within a period of six months after the Council has adopted this Decision whether or not it will transpose it into its national law.