The European Union is considering suspending its short-term visa-free travel agreement with Israel, Euronews reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the information, amendments to the EU’s visa policy were agreed upon recently to allow for the suspension of visa-free travel in cases of human rights violations. Israel may be among the first countries affected by these new provisions.
Ukraine is also potentially at risk. It is among the 61 countries whose citizens can currently enter the Schengen Area and the EU without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
The updated criteria for suspending visa-free travel now include serious and systematic human rights violations, failure to comply with international obligations, and undermining the international legal order.
No final decision has been made yet, but the signal from Brussels is being viewed as a potential form of diplomatic pressure.
