The European Parliament recently approved a reform suspending the exemption that allowed certain citizens to travel to the Schengen area without a visa for short stays.
The new reform reintroduces the visa requirement for certain categories of travelers, with the aim of increasing internal security.
Subject of the reform
As stated in the press release of October 7th, the European Parliament has definitively approved a new reform. The reform will suspend the exemption that allowed citizens of certain countries to travel within the Schengen area without a visa for short stays. This refers to stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
The above-mentioned mechanism concerns citizens of 61 countries. The regulatory revision implemented will allow the Commission to reintroduce the visa requirement in the event of security risks. Among the reasons for suspending the exemption are threats to internal security, including an increase in serious crimes committed by citizens of the concerned country.
Furthermore, the reform is a response to the sharp increase in rejected asylum applications, refusals of entry, and the number of people staying beyond the permitted period.
Reform objectives
As stated in the proposed regulatory revision, the reasons that may lead to the reintroduction of the visa requirements are:
- Hybrid threats, including, for example, the migrants’ exploitations by third countries
- Citizenship programs for investors (so-called “golden passports”) that raise security concerns and risks such as corruption, money laundering security threats, and tax evasion
- Cases of non-alignment with EU visa policy and violations of the UN Charter
- Serious violations of international law, human rights, or humanitarian law
- Failure to comply with international court rulings.
The aim is to create a deterrent effect. The existing grounds for visa requirements (i.e. security threats and lack of cooperation on readmission) will remain unchanged.
The reform will also give EU the power to suspend visa exemptions for officials deemed responsible for human rights violations. This to discourage third-country governments from violating the terms of short-stay visa waiver agreements.
Next steps
The reform will enter into force after the Council has formally adopted it. In any case, it will apply starting from 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
Under the new rules, the European Commission (at the proposal of an interested Member State or on its own initiative, taking into account information from any EU institution) will be able to initiate the process of suspending visa exemptions for specific third countries to the Schengen area, initially on a temporary basis and then permanently if the issues are not resolved.
In conclusion, the reform shall represent the European Parliament’s commitment to human rights and international law.
