British News Agency

According to the Council’s statement, the EU Council has given final approval to the update of the suspension mechanism for visa-free travel for third-country nationals who do not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area.

The revised rules will allow the EU to act more swiftly and decisively in cases where visa-free travel is abused or runs counter to the EU’s interests.

Under the new changes, new grounds will exist to trigger the suspension mechanism. Once the revised rules enter into force, the EU will be able to revoke a third country’s visa-free status if it fails to align with EU visa policy.

Additionally, if a country grants citizenship through investor-citizenship schemes to individuals with no genuine link to the country, the EU may suspend that country’s visa-free entry rights. The same will apply in cases of deteriorating relations, such as due to human rights violations.