EP: zonder visum reizen alleen voor landen waar ook visumvrij reizen geldt voor EU-burgers (en)

The EU could soon be able to reintroduce visa requirements for countries that do not allow European citizens vis-free travel, under new rules approved by the EP's civil liberties committee on 8 April. Under the proposal the EU would also be able to suspend visa-free travel in the case of a drastic or sudden increase in the number of migrants or unfounded asylum applications, but only as a last resort. The new rules will still have to be agreed by member states before they can enter into force.

The reciprocity principle

Some of the countries whose citizens enjoy visa-free travel in the EU still refuse to return the favour. For example, the US still requires people from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland and Romania to obtain a visa before they can travel there.

MEPs have amended the European Commission's proposal for an update of the EU's visa regulation to beef up the "reciprocity mechanism", meaning that if a country outside the EU does not allow visa-free travel, then the EU will be allowed to reintroduce visa requirements for its citizens.

Agustín Díaz de Mera i, a Spanish member of the EPP i group who is steering the proposal through Parliament, explained: “The reciprocity principle that a third country benefiting from an EU visa waiver must extend the same treatment to EU citizens is a key feature of the EU's common visa policy."

Emergencies

The new rules would also enable the EU to temporarily reintroduce visa requirements in an emergency. The Commission added this at the request of member states concerned about major influxes of asylum seekers after visa requirements were lifted for citizens of some countries.

However, MEPs stressed that the suspension of visa-free travel should only be used as a last resort in emergencies, meaning a substantial and sudden increase in the number of irregular migrants, unfounded asylum requests or rejected readmission applications.