While the European Parliament and EU Council reached a compromise last week on the suspension mechanism for visa-free regimes – a compromise that will be put to the plenary vote on Thursday 15 December – the negotiators then reached agreement on Tuesday 13 December on the visa liberalisation regime that will be granted to Georgia, the outcome of which was dependent upon the suspension mechanism.
The trialogue managed to clear the way for a plenary vote in January and for definitive approval by the Council. In the view of a Council source, the trialogue only aimed to finalise the work on the liberalisation regime that will be granted to Tbilisi, with the member states and European Parliament having accepted the principle of it beforehand.
The visa-free regime will only become operational the day that the suspension mechanism comes into force. This mechanism gives the possibility to one or several member states to reintroduce visa requirements for countries whose nationals abuse the liberalisation regime. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)