EU Eases Visa-Free Travel Suspension, Affecting Georgia

The European Parliament has approved a legislative change that significantly simplifies the mechanism for suspending the operation of the visa-free regime for countries that have it with the European Union. The new regulation will allow the EU to respond more quickly and effectively to cases where a country begins to pose security risks or allows human rights violations.

During the vote held on October 6, Members of the European Parliament approved the reform of the EU visa suspension mechanism. The law applies to a total of 61 countries, including Georgia. Currently, Georgian citizens can enter the Schengen area without a visa for short-term stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The new law sets stricter control conditions for this privilege.

The legislative initiative was adopted by a significant majority of votes: 518 deputies voted in favor, 96 against, and 24 abstained. This attests to the broad political consensus in the European Parliament on the protection of EU border security and value-based policy.

A few procedural steps remain for the law to enter into force. In the next stage, it must be approved by the EU Council, which is planned to be implemented in November. After approval by the Council, the law will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force 20 days after publication.