The European Commission's report on Investor citizenship and residence schemes, often referred to as golden visas (see EUROPE 12178), received a mixed reception on Monday 4 February from the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties.
The first exchange of views on this subject last week with the European Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová, had already set the tone and revealed the constant and even growing concerns of MEPs (see EUROPE 12182).
The presentation of the report by the Commission and the discussion with MEPs had to be shortened due to lack of time. Only two MEPs were able to speak and the Commission did not have the right of reply. Nevertheless, interest in this subject is still high.
Portuguese MEP Ana Gomes (S&D) welcomed the Commission's report and said it presented a “much worse situation” than she had imagined. For her, these schemes are simply ways of “infiltrating organised crime into the European Union”.
“This Parliament must not just hear the report and do nothing”, she said. She therefore asked that a resolution on this subject be adopted at the last plenary session in April in order to set out recommendations for the Member States, the European Commission and also for the next European Parliament.
The Dutch Sophie in’t Veld (ALDE) was less positive about the Commission's report, which she described as “weak”.
“I think it is incomprehensible if the Commission itself concludes that these golden visas and golden passport schemes pose security risks and that all the Commission is proposing is a working group”, she said.
For the MEP, the Commission should propose the abolition of these schemes or, at the very least, common criteria and procedures.
Sophie in’t Veld also asked the Commission to publish the list of members of the Member States' expert group to be set up, as well as its agendas and the minutes of the meetings.
The two MEPs hoped that the Commission will not hesitate to launch infringement proceedings quickly against Member States that infringe EU law and jeopardise its security with such schemes. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)