Europe urged to crack down on Russian tourists

Russians are not the most popular tourists. They have a reputation for being loud, smoking, and a reluctance to obey rules. 

 
The European Commission has now signalled plans to tighten Schengen visa rules for Russian nationals following criticism from a group of European countries that say current policies are being applied inconsistently across the bloc, news network Euronews reports.

The proposed measures, which Euronews says are expected to be presented next year, would introduce what Brussels describes as “targeted restrictive visa measures” aimed at addressing security concerns linked to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. 

The move comes after 11 European nations, led by Sweden, called on the Commission to take stronger action and create a more unified approach to handling visa applications from Russian citizens. The group also includes the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden.

In a joint letter sent to Brussels, the countries expressed concern over what they described as significant differences in how member states are implementing visa guidelines introduced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

Those measures were designed to reduce non-essential travel from Russia, increase security screening and gradually phase out multi-entry visas in favour of single-entry permits.

The letter says inconsistent implementation has weakened the effectiveness of the policy and sent mixed political messages at a time when Europe is seeking to maintain a united stance against Moscow.

The letter urged the Commission to introduce binding restrictions, improve enforcement of existing guidelines and provide regular updates on visa issuance statistics involving Russian nationals.

France granted the highest number of Schengen visas to Russian nationals in 2025, issuing nearly 180,000 permits, an increase from the previous year. Italy followed with close to 160,000 visas, while Spain issued just under 100,000.

The letter says that it is difficult to justify large numbers of Russian tourists enjoying vacations across Europe while the conflict in Ukraine continues and civilian areas remain under attack.

Image: Gatot Adriansyah, Scop.io

On the right track: move to make rail travel in Europe easier

The European Commission has proposed new rules to make seamless rail travel across Europe a reality.

The proposals adopted this month are aimed at simplify planning and booking for regional, long-distance and cross-border travel, particularly for rail journeys involving multiple operators. 

At present, comparing all available travel options and identifying the most sustainable choices, especially for cross-border travel, remains difficult for passengers in the EU; especially for rail tickets.

Many passengers encounter obstacles when combining different transport services. 

Booking multiple-leg train journeys involving tickets from different companies can be complex, largely due to fragmented booking systems and the dominant market presence of certain rail companies.

Also, passenger protection is limited on rail journeys involving multiple tickets by different rail operators, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

The proposals address these obstacles, delivering on President Ursula von der Leyen‘s suggestions. 

The Commission proposes measures enabling single-ticket bookings across multiple rail operators, making the rail market more transparent and accessible.

Passengers will be able to find, compare and purchase services combined from different rail operators into one single ticket, which can be bought in one transaction on a ticketing platform of their choice. This can be an independent platform, or the rail operator’s ticketing service.

In the event of missed connections during multi-operator rail journeys, passengers with a single ticket will benefit from new, full passenger rights protection, including assistance, rerouting, reimbursement and compensation.

The Commission will now submit the proposed regulations to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament for consideration. 

The Community of European Railways (CER), representing major national rail companies, strongly cautioned against the proposal’s mandatory distribution requirements and heavy burden of liability on railways. 

It says that railways will be left carrying the real cost and responsibility with inevitable repercussions on ticket prices.

Europe to formalise NoLo wine terminology

"Alcohol-free", "0.0%"’ and "alcohol light" are the new standardised denominations proposed by the European Commission for no- and low-alcohol wines.

The legislation for NoLo wine products is a bid to enhance their appeal.

As part of its newly presented wine package, the EU executive has proposed the three new classifications seeking to harmonise terminology across member states and support the growing market for non-alcoholic wines.

The overall package introduces targeted measures to help the sector manage its production potential, adapt to changing consumer preferences, and exploit new market opportunities, EuroNews reports.

The overall package introduces targeted measures to help the sector manage its production potential, adapt to changing consumer preferences, and exploit new market opportunities.

The proposed designations define ‘alcohol-free’ as wines with an alcohol content not exceeding 0.5% by volume, while ‘0.0%’ is reserved for wines with an alcohol content not exceeding 0.05% by volume.

The term ‘alcohol-light’ will apply to wines with an alcohol content above 0.5% but at least 30% lower than the minimum strength of the category before dealcoholisation.

Previously, EU legislation used the technical terms “fully and partially de-alcoholised” wines, which were seen as less consumer-friendly.

“The idea is to replace them with names that are more attractive and also more familiar to consumers,” the Commission said.

The three new terms, while already widely used, are currently regulated differently across member states, and the new rules aim to ensure uniform wine labelling throughout the EU.

Image: Carmen Ramon Cami, Scop.io