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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Proposal in European Parliament to include Kosovo in Schengen visa deal
Ahead of a debate in the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee on proposed exemption of some Western Balkans countries from Schengen visa requirements, an MEP has proposed that Kosovo be included on the list.
The proposal that has been sent to the European Parliament is that from January 2010, citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia who have biometric passports would not need visas to enter the Schengen area.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania have been left off the list for this stage of exemption, while Kosovo – which in February 2008 unilaterally declared independence from Kosovo, an issue on which the European Union is divided – also will not get Schengen visa exemption.
Earlier in September 2009, members of the European Parliament’s committee on foreign affairs criticised the proposal in its current form, saying that it would worsen divisions in the Western Balkans, and would lead to further inequalities among the citizens even within the same country, as Bosnian Serbs often also have Serbian passports, and would, unlike their Bosnian compatriots, not need a visa.
On September 24 2009, Kosovo media said that a Social Democrat MEP from Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, had prepared a draft proposal that Kosovo should be included in the Schengen visa liberalisation process, without this move pre-empting policy on the status of Kosovo.
Kosovo should not be left in a vacuum because of disagreement in the EU on Kosovo’s self-declared independence, Fajon said, according to the media reports.
Kosovo dailies also reported on September 24 that during a visit to Kosovo, the European Parliament rapporteur on Kosovo Ulrike Lunacek said that most MEPs supported the inclusion of the whole Western Balkans in the visa liberalisation process, while saying that five EU states had not recognised Kosovo and it had yet to meet technical criteria for visa liberalisation.
Whatever is decided by the European Parliament will not be binding because the final decision on the question of Schengen visa exemptions will be taken by the Council of the European Union.
The proposal that has been sent to the European Parliament is that from January 2010, citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia who have biometric passports would not need visas to enter the Schengen area.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania have been left off the list for this stage of exemption, while Kosovo – which in February 2008 unilaterally declared independence from Kosovo, an issue on which the European Union is divided – also will not get Schengen visa exemption.
Earlier in September 2009, members of the European Parliament’s committee on foreign affairs criticised the proposal in its current form, saying that it would worsen divisions in the Western Balkans, and would lead to further inequalities among the citizens even within the same country, as Bosnian Serbs often also have Serbian passports, and would, unlike their Bosnian compatriots, not need a visa.
On September 24 2009, Kosovo media said that a Social Democrat MEP from Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, had prepared a draft proposal that Kosovo should be included in the Schengen visa liberalisation process, without this move pre-empting policy on the status of Kosovo.
Kosovo should not be left in a vacuum because of disagreement in the EU on Kosovo’s self-declared independence, Fajon said, according to the media reports.
Kosovo dailies also reported on September 24 that during a visit to Kosovo, the European Parliament rapporteur on Kosovo Ulrike Lunacek said that most MEPs supported the inclusion of the whole Western Balkans in the visa liberalisation process, while saying that five EU states had not recognised Kosovo and it had yet to meet technical criteria for visa liberalisation.
Whatever is decided by the European Parliament will not be binding because the final decision on the question of Schengen visa exemptions will be taken by the Council of the European Union.
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