Third Report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism

Summary:

Report published by the European Commission on 10 July 2020, assessing the fulfilment of requirements by the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries relating to visa liberalisation.

Further information:

The Visa Suspension Mechanism exempts third-country nationals from the visa requirement for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 requires the European Commission to monitor the continuous fulfilment of visa liberalisation requirements by third countries and to report it at least once a year.

This report concludes that the countries concerned - Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - continue to meet to the visa liberalisation requirements, and tht visa-free movement continues to bring positive economic, social and cultural benefits to EU Member States and partner countries. The report - which relates to the 2019 calendar year and first half of 2020 - also focuses in detail on specific areas of security and migration where further action is needed.

• Primary Source

Official

EUR-Lex: SWD(2020)132: Staff Working Document accompanying the Communication https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2020:132:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 10/07/2020: Visa liberalisation: Commission reports on the continued fulfilment of requirements by the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1327

European Commission: Report on the continued fulfilment of visa-free requirements: Questions and Answers (10 July 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_1330

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