Visa policy: Commission proposes a renewed Visa Suspension Mechanism

Today, 18 October 2023, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Regulation to amend the current visa suspension mechanism with the objective to address evolving migration and security challenges. 

The EU currently has a visa-free regime with 60 non-EU countries. Visa-free travel is an essential element to facilitate people-to-people contacts and strengthen business, social and cultural ties between EU and partner countries. In an evolving geopolitical context that brings new challenges to visa-free travel, and maintaining an effective and safe system requires constant vigilance.  

Specifically, the EU’s visa-free regime can be the source of increased irregular arrivals and security challenges for the EU. This proposal for a revision of the current visa suspension mechanism will allow Member States to better counter possible abuses of visa-free travel. 

The Commission is proposing to: 

• Expand the grounds for suspension, to include non-EU countries that are not fully aligned with the EU’s visa policy and visa-free non-EU countries operating investor citizenship schemes;  
• Increase the duration of the procedure to allow more time for remedial actions. A new urgency procedure is introduced to react faster in case of sudden challenges to visa-free regime 
• Strengthen the Commission’s monitoring and reporting obligations to any visa free countries where challenges are identified 

The proposal comes with the 6th report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism. The report monitors the EU visa-free regime with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, as well as with the visa-free countries of the Pacific and the Caribbean operating investor citizenship schemes. 

For More Information:  

Questions and Answers 

Fifth Report Under the Visa Suspension Mechanism   

Strengthened Visa Suspension Mechanism