Source: European Parliament
The mechanism under Article 25(a) of the Visa Code[1] and the ‘visa suspension mechanism’[2] target different types of third countries.
Under the article 25(a) mechanism, the Commission assesses readmission cooperation of visa-required third countries, and it may propose to the Council to adopt specific temporary restrictions on short-stay visa processing where a third country is not cooperating sufficiently.
Experience of the mechanism’s implementation indicates it is effective in enhancing readmission cooperation. The Commission is currently preparing the sixth assessment report on readmission cooperation in 2024.
The fifth Commission’s report on third countries’ readmission cooperation classified at Restreint UE/EU Restricted level[3] was provided to the European Parliament on its adoption date (23 July 2024) and is accessible under the European Parliament’s internal procedures for classified information access.
Under the ‘visa suspension mechanism’, the Commission assesses cooperation on readmission of visa-free third countries, in particular those third countries that obtained the visa exemption following the successful completion of a visa liberalisation dialogue (Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries) and presents its assessment annually in a report[4] to the European Parliament and the Council.
The visa exemption for Vanuatu was first suspended, and eventually terminated, due to the security risks deriving from the investor citizenship schemes operated by Vanuatu, and not because of problems in cooperation on readmission.
- [1] Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code).
- [2] Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (codification).
- [3] According to Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 on protecting EU classified information, access to such documents is restricted on a need-to-know basis as determined by the originator.
- [4] Latest report: Seventh Report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism, COM(2024) 571 final.