The European Union is preparing to introduce targeted restrictions on visas issued to citizens of third countries, European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said, in remarks reported by The Guardian.
Although Lammert did not name Russia directly, the statement was widely read as a signal that Brussels is moving toward fresh limits on visas for Russian citizens.
Lammert pointed to steps the European Commission had already taken to curb the issuance of Schengen visas. He cited the full suspension of the EU's visa facilitation agreement with Russia in 2022, as well as detailed visa guidance the Commission circulated to EU member states that same year.
What the commission said
According to Lammert, the Commission is preparing a proposal for targeted restrictive visa measures to address, among other things, security problems arising from hostile actions by third countries.
The European Commission is the EU's executive arm, responsible for proposing legislation and coordinating policy across the bloc's 27 member states, including rules on the Schengen visa system that governs short-stay travel into most of Europe.
Background on the visa debate
The Schengen area allows passport-free travel across most of the EU, and visas for it are issued under common rules agreed by member states.
It had previously been reported that EU leaders would revisit a possible ban on tourist visas for Russian citizens at a meeting of the European Council, the body that brings together the bloc's heads of state and government, on October 15-16 in Brussels.
Germany had earlier said it wanted to reduce the number of Schengen visas issued to Russians and called on other European countries to adopt similar measures.
What comes next
The European Council's October meeting in Brussels is expected to see EU leaders discuss the tourist visa question again, following earlier pushes from Germany for tighter restrictions across the bloc.
