The European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, has welcomed the definitive adoption by the Council of the EU of the visa liberalisation regime for Georgian nationals and the adoption of a suspension mechanism for these visa-free regimes, which made it possible to grant liberalisation to Georgia.
In a press release, the Commissioner described it as an "historic day" for the Georgians, who will now be able to travel to the Schengen zone without a visa for a maximum period of three months. This regime also brings Georgia closer to the EU, the EU official stressed. He also welcomed the adoption of the visa-free regime suspension mechanism, which will significantly reinforce and increase the efficiency of EU visa policies.
The suspension mechanism was a key condition set in place by the member states to agree to grant these liberalisation regimes. They wanted adoption and entry into force at the same time. The suspension mechanism was not adopted without a struggle, as the Council and the European Parliament spent a long time passing the ball back and forth between each other before reaching a compromise in December (see EUROPE 11685).
The suspension mechanism allows one or more member states to return to requiring nationals of a country under a liberalisation scheme to hold visas if these nationals are believed to be abusing the system to apply for asylum or to present a threat to the security of one or more member states. Ukraine and Kosovo are theoretically expected to follow Georgia and obtain visa-free regimes. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)