Brussels, 30 May 2023
Today, the Commission adopted a Communication monitoring the EU visa-free travel regimes.
The Communication looks at the functioning of the EU’s visa-free regimes and identified the main challenges in the area of irregular migration and security. The Communication also paves the way ahead towards a strengthened monitoring and Visa Suspension Mechanism.
The Communication presents further ways of strengthening the mechanism by exploring the possibility of: establishing new grounds for suspension to address new risks; adapting thresholds to trigger the visa suspension mechanism; making the suspension procedure more efficient and flexible, as well as strengthening the monitoring and reporting provisions. Following today’s Communication, the Commission is launching a consultation process to meet these objectives.
The EU visa policy is an essential part of the Schengen rules and one of the most valued achievements of EU integration. Visa-free travel brings significant economic, social, and cultural benefits to EU Member States and third countries and is an important tool to promote tourism and business.
The EU currently has a visa-free regime in place with 60 non-EU countries. Visa policy is, and should remain, a tool to facilitate people-to-people contacts, tourism and business, while preventing security risks and the risk of irregular migration to the EU.
More information is available in our press release.
Source – EU Commission