The European Commission building in Brussels | Carl Court/Getty Images EU moves forward on Ukraine, Georgia visa-free travel Visas could be reinstated if there is a spike in asylum applications or security issues.

The European Council and Parliament have reached a deal on a proposal that paves the way for citizens of Ukraine and Georgia to get the right to travel to the EU without a visa.

The deal will allow the European Commission and EU states to reinstate the requirement for a visa if countries fail to cooperate in taking back illegal migrants, there's a spike in the number of asylum applications, or a security issue arises, Parliament said in a statement published Thursday.

Agustín Díaz de Mera, the lead member of European Parliament on the file, said the agreement on the so-called suspension emergency mechanism "will facilitate the immediate consideration of the two visa liberalization proposals for Georgia and Ukraine.”

The deal will still need to be approved by Parliament as a whole, which is likely to happen next week, and by national governments.

Last month, EU ambassadors backed a Commission proposal to allow visa-free travel for Ukrainians, and vice-versa, for 90 days in any 180-day period. The Commission concluded in December last year that Ukraine had met all the requirements for visa exemption.

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