Visas, Fayon: Suspension is harmful

The current rapporteur of the Foreign Committee argues that this mechanism is being established for security reasons, and not to be used.

“This is a possible safeguard mechanism and we hope that will be not used, but the member states would like to have this safeguard mechanism to feel confident that we can continue with the process of visa liberalization with other countries, and in emergency case, we have this mechanism to introduce temporary, the “temporary” term is very important, for a particular country where some members have some concerns for the increase of migration or other misuse of the visa-free regime of a particular country. We don’t like this mechanism to be used, but this is a safeguard, in case of emergencies”, declared Andrey Kovatchev, Rapporteur of the Foreign Committee.

TCH: This means that it will be used in this case?

In case of emergency, indeed. The member states can notify the Commission. It is very important to specify that this is not an automatic introduction of visas. It will go under an evaluation process of the Commission. The European institutions will decide how to go further, and it is also likely that they will reject the notification of one or more member states for such a reintroduction of the visa. This means that this is not an automatic mechanism, but only a possible safeguard mechanism for a temporary suspension of the visa regime.

TCH: Mrs. Fayon, what’s your opinion about this? What are your concerns about this proposal?

“I sincerely hope that the proposal will not survive. I agree that we need a safeguard mechanism, but I’m afraid that this moment for the proposal is a bad one. It can be used politically in a situation when in fact are not alarming situations. My main concerns are the following: the European Parliament should be more involved, it should not be only the right of member state and the European Commission to decide the temporary safeguard clause. Another concern is the level of the percentage, which is not alarming at all. I think that we should delete these percentages, and find some other mechanisms when we really see that a situation is alarming, because we are in a bad situation at the moment, in the European Union, when some member states can use the safeguard clause politically. I would like to see that it will never be used as such. It’s good for the states of the visa free regime to know the rules. They must not abuse, but on the other hand, we as institutions must have the right to determine when a situation is really alarming”, declared the former rapporteur for the visa at the European Parliament, S&D, Tanya Fayon.

TCH: When you say that it can be used politically, can you explain how this could happen?

“Certainly. In a situation when we are discussing the Schengen rules, when the free visa movement in the European Union is in danger, I think that some member countries, for more popularity and nationalism, might use it politically by simply saying that they have many fake asylum seekers. Certainly, there are strong and clear rules for telling if the abuses are real or not. In the meantime, they could establish the visa regime within one night. I would like to avoid this, as European Parliament, the institution that was involved in favor of the visa liberalization, especially with Western Balkan countries. We must respect the fulfillment of the technical criteria, but we must also avoid such matters to be used politically”, Fayon declared.

“In this proposition are used safe data for the safety clause, because none of the member countries can return the regime overnight. This must be a clear measure. The decision will be taken by the European Commission, and that will not be based only on the notification of one or more member countries, but also on the position of the European Agency for Assylum, and the evaluation of the European Service for Foreign Action, or for not returning the temporary visa regime. We don’t think that it can be possible to believe that the visa regime can be returned overnight, although Netherlands is asking this for popularity. This could not happen and will not happen”, Andrey Kotatchev declared.

“I really hope that the European Parliament could be able to express its opinion. We, as an institution, have been very strong supporters for the visa regime lift, and will remain as such in the future, with the decisions of using the safety clauses. But again, we are in a process of negotiations and the 27 member countries have great interest to influence each committee, so I wish that we will be able to find the best possible consensus”, Tania Fayon concluded.

Prepared by: Arta Tozaj

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