A proposal by Germany and France to make it easier to suspend visa-free travel to the European Union from countries such as Turkey drew a frosty reception from the European Commission today. In what was seen as a move to make visa liberalisation for Turks, Ukrainians and Georgians more acceptable, Berlin and Paris wrote to EU partners this week calling for a tougher safeguard mechanism in case of a spike of asylum requests, overstays or readmission refusals. Under their plan, which would have to be formally put forward by the Commission, any member state would be allowed to suspend visa-free travel from any country for six months unless EU states voted by a qualified majority to overrule it. The proposal came in the midst of a debate about whether to extend visa liberalisation to Ankara by the end of June under a deal to curb the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe. The Commission is due to report next Wednesday whether Turkey has met the 72 technical and legal conditions to qualify for visa-free travel. If so, member states and the European Parliament would have to approve the plan. Berlin and Paris want the tougher safeguards, which their joint letter seen by Reuters...
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