European Commission does not endorse sale of passports, Commissioner says

The European Commission does not endorse any of the EU states’ cash-for-passport schemes, justice commissioner Vera Jourova insisted. Replying to a question by MEP Roberta Metsola days after a report urging member states to crack down on such schemes, Ms Jourova said that such schemes did not have the Commission’s backing. “I think it was very clear what we wrote [in the report] and I will clearly repeat, we do not endorse the system,” the justice commissioner said. Following last week’s publication, Ms Jourova had already made it clear that the Commission was looking at the schemes “with concern”. Malta is one of only three member states that have “investor citizenship schemes”. The other two are Cyprus and Bulgaria. In last week’s report, the Commission said that Malta’s scheme has no actual mechanisms to ensure that passport buyers actually lived on the island or formed a genuine link in other ways. The Commission also noted how non-public bodies such as approved agents or the schemes concessionaire Henley and Partners played a significant role throughout the application process, acting on behalf of applicants and interacting directly with the competent authorities. Sources...