It is a privilege based on mutual trust and shared responsibility. When that trust is broken through abuse, inaction, or deliberate threats, the European Union must respond with strength and clarity. As EPP Shadow Rapporteur, I advocated for a tougher, faster, and more accountable visa suspension mechanism to protect the Schengen area at a time when we are marking its 40th anniversary. We fought for it, and we delivered.
This mechanism serves as a safeguard, triggered when there are signs of abuse, such as irregular entries, unfounded asylum claims, or a lack of cooperation with the Union. However, the threats we face today are not the same as they were a decade ago. That’s why we pushed for and secured a stronger and more future-proof tool to tackle the challenges of today and those still to come.
For too long, this tool was a broken alarm – ineffective, slow, and politically toothless. Delays in triggering action when third countries ignored EU standards, failed to control overstays or refused readmissions weakened our credibility and sent the wrong message. That era is over. With this reform, we have restored deterrence. We now have the tools to act fast, enforce standards, and use visa policy as external leverage to hold third countries accountable.
This reform ensures that Europe can respond swiftly and decisively when visa-free regimes are exploited or abused. It’s about safeguarding the integrity of our migration system and reinforcing the EU’s ability to act when our security or stability is at stake.
— Ana Miguel Pedro (@anampedro) June 17, 2025
1. Clear Thresholds
We brought clarity and set the bar. A 30% surge in entry refusals, overstays, unfounded asylum claims, or serious criminal offences will now trigger the suspension mechanism. And if a country’s asylum recognition rate falls below 20%, that’s a clear sign of systemic abuse.
2. New Triggers
Hybrid threats, investor citizenship schemes, strategic misalignment with EU visa policy, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and systemic document fraud are examples of concrete elements of the playbook used today by authoritarian regimes and hostile actors. With this reform, these tactics are now explicitly addressed within the visa suspension mechanism, providing the EU with the legal and political tools to respond when trust is abused and security is compromised.
3. Target Suspensions
The EU can finally draw a clear line that accountability lies with those in power. The updated mechanism enables us to impose targeted suspensions on government officials, diplomats, and elites who are responsible for violating human rights and international law. It ensures consequences for political decisions without punishing ordinary citizens.
4. Stronger Oversight
The Commission must now report proactively on risks in visa-free countries. That means earlier warnings, quicker action, and more pressure to comply with EU rules.
.@EUCouncil and @europarl_EN settled on an update of the mechanism that allows the EU to suspend visa-free travel for those exempt from applying for a visa when travelling to #Schengen area.
— Polish presidency of the Council of the EU (@POLAND25EU) June 17, 2025
This ammended law will help 🇪🇺better react to abuse of visa-free travel. pic.twitter.com/CdaHPU5hZO
5. Longer Suspensions
Suspensions can now last up to 12 months, extendable by up to 24 months if necessary. That gives partner countries time to respond; however, if no changes are made, the visa exemption can be revoked permanently.
This is not about punishing countries, it’s about external credibility. It’s about ensuring that the European Union has the tools to command respect and protect the integrity of Schengen. We recognise that visa-free travel offers numerous benefits for citizens, economies, and diplomacy. But it must be based on responsibility and mutual respect. It is a privilege, not an unconditional right.
Negotiating this reform wasn’t smooth. There were voices, inside and outside this Parliament, calling for a softer approach because the alternative was a Europe that tolerates abuse and projects weakness.
With this reform, we’re saying clearly: if a third country refuses to take back its nationals, if it opens the door to irregular migration, if it grants citizenship for cash with no ties to the country, if it plays political games with migration or undermines international law, then the EU will act.
In the EPP, we believe in an open Europe, but not one that is blind, passive, or taken for granted. Visa-free travel must serve our interests, reflect our values, and respect our rules. So yes, Europe remains open to the world – but we are no longer naïve, not in this Parliament, not in this security climate, and not on our watch.
