The European Fee on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to droop the visa facilitation settlement between the European Union and Russia, which might make it costlier and more durable for Russians to journey to EU member states.
European Residence Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson introduced the proposal in a information convention in Brussels, saying there may be “no foundation for a privileged relationship between Russia” and the European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This comes after European overseas ministers final week reached political consensus to totally droop the visa settlement.
“The proposal to droop the Visa Facilitation Settlement will put an finish to all facilitations for Russian residents making use of for a short-stay visa to the Schengen space,” a European Fee information launch mentioned Tuesday.
Johansson harassed that the proposal will be certain that “Russia residents will now not take pleasure in privileged entry to the EU.”
Russians attempting to enter the EU for tourism and leisure functions will face a “lengthier” and “costlier” course of, the commissioner mentioned. There can even be extra restrictions for a number of entry visas, Johansson added.
As a part of this, the visa price will enhance from 35 euros ($34.66) to 80 euros ($79.23) whereas the deadline for a call from consulates will enhance from 10 days to fifteen days. Visa candidates can even must submit an extended checklist of documentary proof when making use of for a visa, in response to the press launch.
Regardless of the suspension, the EU will stay “open to sure classes of Russian visa candidates travelling for important functions, together with notably members of the family of EU residents, journalists, dissidents and civil society representatives,” in response to the information launch.
What comes subsequent?: The fee should now watch for the European Council to think about the proposal to scrap the visa settlement in its entirety, the press launch mentioned. If permitted by the European Council, the suspension will come into pressure on the second day after its publication within the Official Journal of the European Union.
The bloc introduced within the press launch that it’s also proposing a “widespread EU strategy for the non-recognition of Russian passports issued in occupied overseas areas, as Russia at the moment extends the apply of issuing peculiar Russian passports to extra non-government-controlled areas of Ukraine, specifically the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas.”
The EU harassed that its visa facilitation agreements “are primarily based on mutual belief and respect of widespread values between the EU and the given nation.”
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is incompatible with a trustful relationship and runs counter to the spirit of partnership on which Visa Facilitation Agreements are primarily based,” the bloc added.
