Sat, Feb 11 2012

Schengen visa deal for Western Balkans goes to European Parliament

Wed, Sep 16 2009 11:39 CET

byClive Leviev-Sawyer

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Schengen visa deal for Western Balkans goes to European Parliament

Representatives of the European Council and European Commission were scheduled to make statements in the bloc’s Parliament on September 16 2009 on steps towards exempting citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia from Schengen visa requirements.
 
If all three countries are exempted simultaneously, the Schengen visa requirement for them will fall away from January 1 2010.
 
After debate in the European Parliament’s committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs, the Parliament’s plenary is provisionally scheduled to vote on a resolution on the issue in November. The EU’s Council of Ministers has the final say on implementation.
 
Macedonia is regarded as ready for Schengen visa exemption, Montenegro has yet to meet some remaining benchmarks, while on September 15 2009, Serbian interior minister Ivica Dačić said in Belgrade that Serbia had fulfilled all the conditions on the road map towards visa liberalisation, FoNet reported.
 
On September 16, Serbian media quoted the newly-appointed European Parliament Rapporteur for visa liberalisation for the West Balkans, Tanja Fajon, as saying that it was very important for Serbian citizens to have free access to the Schengen zone as soon as possible, adding she believed that Belgrade would fulfill all requisite criteria for visa liberalisation by the end of this year.
 
Asked if a definite decision on visa liberalisation for Serbia could be expected in November, as announced, Fajon said said that if there were no changes to the agenda, the European Parliament would obtain her report on visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans in November, which means that the EU Council will obtain the report soon afterwards, Serbian agency Tanjug said.
 
Carl Bildt, foreign minister of Sweden, the country currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU, told Serbian daily Večernje Novosti that he was hopeful about abolishing visas for Serbian citizens by the beginning of 2010.
 
"As confirmed by the European Commission in May, Serbia has made significant progress in all fields and fulfilled the majority of conditions set out in the road map. If it continues making progress, Serbia will be entitled to visa liberalisation in 2010," Bildt was quoted as saying.
 
 
 

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