On Friday 20 December, the European Commission proposed suspending part of the EU-Georgia agreement on facilitating the issuance of visas for holders of diplomatic and official passports.
If the EU Council adopts the Commission’s proposal - a decision that requires a qualified majority - these persons will need a visa to travel to the EU for short stays not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period. In addition, visa facilitations such as shorter application times, lower visa fees and the requirement to submit fewer supporting documents would no longer apply to Georgian holders of diplomatic and official passports.
The Commission’s proposal is a response to the Georgian authorities’ violent repression of peaceful demonstrators, political leaders and independent media, and to the adoption of two pieces of legislation that infringe fundamental rights. Respect for these rights is an essential condition for visa liberalisation, the Commission points out in its press release.
At their EU Council meeting on Monday 16 December, the foreign affairs ministers are said to have expressed their support for such a measure (see EUROPE 13546/28). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)