EU approves new rules for suspending visa-free travel. What does this mean for Georgia?
Suspension of Georgia’s EU visa-free regime
The Council of the European Union has approved a new mechanism that makes it easier to suspend visa-free travel for third countries, including Georgia.
According to the Council’s statement, the measure will allow the EU to “react more quickly and decisively in situations where the visa-free regime is misused or runs counter to the interests of the EU.”
How could the new rules affect Georgia?
“It’s possible that the new rules will soon be applied against some holders of Georgian passports,” Radio Free Europe editor Rikard Jozwiak wrote on 12 November.
Earlier, the European Commission released its 2025 enlargement report, which said that the foundations of Georgia’s EU integration have significantly weakened over the past year, and that the government has effectively halted the country’s accession process.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas explained that the situation in Georgia regarding the rule of law and human rights has deteriorated.
She and other EU and European Parliament officials have repeatedly said the EU should impose visa sanctions on many senior Georgian officials and others involved in the country’s democratic backsliding. Now, the new rules for suspending visa-free travel may make that possible.
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