Visa-free travel of non-EU citizens on EU territory may be suspended in particular circumstances, members of the the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs agreed today.

Chief Negotiator Agustín Díaz de Mera was given the green light to start negotiating with EU ministers.

"We will grant visas but today we have taken a step to include in legislation an urgent procedure to remove visa-free travel for non-EU countries which do not meet European criteria", he said.

MEPs decided that the EU should have a suspension mechanism in place as an emergency brake in cases where visa-free travel in the EU is abused by certain non-EU nationals.

This suspension mechanism would apply to all non-EU countries which have visa-free travel arrangements with the EU.

With this suspension mechanism it will be easier for EU governments to notify the European Commission of particular circumstances that could lead to a possible suspension of visa-free travel for certain non-EU nationals.

This would enable the Commission to trigger the mechanism.

The first meeting of Mr Díaz de Mera with the EU Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs is scheduled for next week.

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