Given the amount of travel between the UK and the EU for business and leisure, it was crucial for the EU Council and the European Parliament to come finalise the proposal to waive visa requirements to UK nationals for short stay visits to the EU post-Brexit, the Malta Business Bureau said on Friday.

The visa waiver to UK nationals would apply on condition of reciprocity – although the UK government has already indicated that it would not require EU citizens travelling to the UK for short stays to require a visa. If the UK does introduce visa requirements for any one of the EU’s member states, the reciprocity mechanism will be reconsidered and the EU as a bloc will be required to introduce counterbalancing measures.

“Irrespective of diverging views on Brexit and the economic challenges it will undoubtedly bring, citizens should be spared the negative impact as much as possible,” MBB president Simon De Cesare said.

“Introducing visa requirements would have resulted in unnecessary bureaucracy and costs for citizens.”

The bureau said that the outcome was positive for tourism and the Maltese hospitality sector, which relies on thousands of UK nationals visiting Malta.