BRUSSELS, November 7. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) has banned the issue of new multiple-entry visas to the Russians. At a briefing in Brussels, EC spokesperson Markus Lammert said that the decision was made on November 6 and entered into force on Friday.

Multiple-entry Schengen visas which have already been issued remain valid.

TASS has compiled the key facts about the ban.

EC statements

- On November 7, the European Commission imposed a ban on issuing new multiple-entry visas to Russian citizens.

- Russian citizens will have to apply for a new visa every time they plan to visit the EU.

- Russians already in possession of a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa are not affected, the decision applies only to new visas, Lammert said.

Exceptions for Russians

- EU countries can issue multiple-entry visas to family members of Russian citizens living in the EU, the European Commission said in a statement.

- The restrictions will not apply to drivers of freight transport, buses and trains.

- EU countries will be able to continue issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians whose loyalty to Brussels is "beyond doubt," Lammert said.

Reaction from the Russian Foreign Ministry

- Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that the EU apparently does not need tourists from Russia.

"The European Commission’s thinking is apparently this: why does Western Europe need tourists who actually have money when there are illegal migrants and Ukrainian tax evaders living on benefits," Zakharova said.

Impact on the tourist flow

- Even before the ban, Russian tourists practically did not receive Schengen multiple-entry visas, the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) said.

- The ban on issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians is unlikely to significantly affect the flow of tourists from Russia to the European Union, says Alexander Bragin, director of the Association of Travel Aggregators (ATAG).

- The same opinion is shared by the PCT expert, CEO of VCP Travel Mikhail Abasov, who said that the new restriction is unlikely to reduce the already insignificant tourist flow to Europe.