Germany has taken the lead in a coalition of EU states proposing that Russian non-biometric international passports no longer be recognized, Euractiv reports, citing three diplomats.
The initiative, backed by the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, and Romania, has been put forward for technical-level discussions involving representatives of the bloc’s member states.
Supporters of the proposal argue that the measure is needed to tighten controls at the EU’s external borders and close existing legal loopholes.
In several EU countries, entry restrictions for Russian citizens traveling on passports without biometric data have already been in place for several years. Such measures have been introduced, among others, in Germany, France, and the Czech Republic.