**EU Takes a Stronger Stance on Visa-Free Travel**
In a significant move, the European Parliament and the European Council have come to an agreement on the grounds for suspending visa-free travel to the EU. This reform aims to give the EU more flexibility in responding to countries that disregard key principles of visa-free agreements.
**Why is this important?**
The EU has realized that some countries are not respecting the principles of visa-free agreements, which can lead to security issues and human rights violations. To address this, the new law introduces several grounds for suspending visa-free regimes. These include:
* Gross violations of international human rights or humanitarian law
* Non-compliance with international court decisions
* Hybrid threats, such as state-sponsored instrumentalization of migrants aimed at destabilizing or undermining societies
* Schemes granting citizenship to investors (‘golden passports’) that raise security concerns
* A country’s non-alignment with the EU’s visa policy, potentially turning it into a transit country for illegal entry into the EU
**What does this mean?**
The new law will allow the EU to take a stronger stance on countries that are not respecting the principles of visa-free agreements. This will help ensure that the EU can respond more effectively to security threats and human rights violations.
**Conclusion**
In summary, the European Parliament and the European Council have reached an agreement on the grounds for suspending visa-free travel to the EU. This reform aims to give the EU more flexibility in responding to countries that disregard key principles of visa-free agreements.
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