The European Parliament decided, on Thursday 20 October, by urgency procedure, not to accept travel documents issued by Russia in the regions it illegally occupies in Ukraine and Georgia. It adopted its negotiating mandate with the EU Council by 540 votes in favour, 6 against and 36 abstentions.
The EU Council had approved its mandate on 12 October (see EUROPE 13041/16). The Commission’s proposal was for “non-recognition” of these documents, but the Member States had replaced this term with “non-acceptance”.
MEPs note that Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia in Ukraine is illegal and that the EU has condemned Russia’s decision to recognise the independence of the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. Member States should “no longer accept travel documents issued by Russia in these regions”, says the European Parliament.
The Parliament nevertheless added amendments on the right of everyone to flee the conflict in Ukraine and to enter the EU on humanitarian grounds. It also empowers the Commission to add new regions to the list of occupied territories or to delete them by means of delegated acts with which it wishes to be closely associated.
Link to the European Parliament’s position: https://aeur.eu/f/3ps (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)