EU Structures Reach Agreement on Suspension Mechanism

BRUSSELS - The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (EU) finally agreed on the mechanism of suspension on Wednesday, which means that the European Parliament will be ready to vote on visa-free travel regimes for Georgians and Ukrainians by next week.

The good news was announced by Member of the European Parliament, Kati Piri, who tweeted that the finally agreement on the Suspension Mechanism had been reached.

“We can vote next week for visa free travel for Georgians and Ukrainians,” Piri’s tweet reads.

EU Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy High Commissioner Johannes Hahn welcomed the agreement on the Suspension Mechanism. 

"I welcome it and I urge the EU Council and the European Parliament to make a decision as soon as possible," he posted on Twitter.

Official Tbilisi expects that visa-free travel with the EU will probably begin in 2017. "Georgia has fulfilled all undertaken obligations and the decision of EU structures was logical," it said.

Georgia’s Ambassador to the EU, Natalie Sabanadze, explained that the two European structures agreed on a "compromised version” of the Suspension Mechanism that was presented by the Council of Europe.

State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration of Georgia, Viktor Dolidze, hopes that Georgian citizens will enjoy visa-free travel to the EU very soon. However, he cannot specify an exact date.

“I think the issue of visa-liberalization will be decided very soon, at the beginning of 2017. There are no more barriers, practically procedural issues are solved and only the voting of the European parliament is left,” Dolidze stated.

The Georgian Opposition says that Georgia should have started enjoying visa-free travel a long time ago and blames the current government for dragging out the process.

“The fact that we do not have visa-liberalization already is the result of our government’s policy. However, we will be glad if Georgian citizens enjoy visa-free travel with the EU as soon as possible,” said Zurab Chiaberashvili, member of the opposition party United National Movement.

The official website of the European Parliament (EP) announced that a preliminary date for the consideration of the visa waiver suspension mechanism is January 18, 2017. The mechanism will introduce the procedure of a visa waiver suspension for third countries whose citizens have visa-free travel with the EU.

By Thea Morrison