It is envisioned that Israel could be one of the first countries to be subject to the new rules. They include a broader set of grounds for suspension of visa-free travel, primarily in the area of human rights violations.
However, citizens of 61 countries for which EU rules on short-term visa-free travel to the Schengen area apply could fall under the restrictions. Among them are Australia, Brazil, Israel, Japan, the UK, Ukraine and the Western Balkan countries.
The Republic of Moldova is also included in this list. Moldovan citizens with a biometric passport can visit EU countries without a visa, using the rule “90 days out of 180”. This means that they can stay in Schengen countries and other EU states for a total of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It is important to keep track of the total number of days of stay in the EU so as not to exceed the allowed period.
As Euronews notes, under the new agreement between EU lawmakers and member states, the suspension mechanism will now be easier to trigger because the thresholds have been lowered and new criteria have been added. For example, violations of the UN Charter, serious violations of international human rights or humanitarian law, and non-compliance with international court decisions will now be valid grounds for suspending a country’s visa-free status.
