Browne says EU should expand access, not threaten Schengen visa-free travel for OECS
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the European Union should focus on strengthening access and cooperation with Caribbean states rather than raising the prospect of restrictions on Schengen visa-free travel.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM following Antigua and Barbuda’s hosting of the inaugural parliamentary meeting of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Browne said the issue of Schengen access has surfaced repeatedly in discussions between the EU and OECS countries.
He said that for several years the EU has raised the possibility of withdrawing visa-free access, particularly in the context of regional Citizenship by Investment programmes.
“In which they have been threatening us now for some years to withdraw the Schengen visa-free access into the EU,” Browne said during the discussion .
Browne suggested that instead of pressuring small island states over mobility arrangements, European partners should work to enhance trade, development financing and economic integration with the Caribbean.
The prime minister made the remarks while outlining the significance of the OACPS parliamentary meeting, which addressed trade, climate resilience, investment and geopolitical issues affecting Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Antigua and Barbuda continues to benefit from short-stay visa-free access to the Schengen Area.
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