European Union interior ministers approved on November 8 2010 a proposal to allow visa-free access to the EU’s Schengen zone for citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, a move expected to take effect in mid-December.

Citizens of the two countries will have to have biometric passports to use the exemption.

The European Parliament approved the decision on October 7 2010.

The decision is the latest of its kind, after a December 19 2009 decision to give the same benefit to citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

A November 8 statement said that there would be a "follow-up mechanism" to the visa liberalisation process for the countries of the Western Balkans.

"This follow-up mechanism concerns the monitoring of the reforms which these countries need to continue to carry out," the statement said.

It also introduces "emergency consultation arrangements" so that the EU and its member states can, in co-operation with the authorities of the countries involved, "react in the best possible conditions to any specific difficulties which might arise with the flow of persons from the countries of the Western Balkans".

The European Commission may, if necessary, propose the suspension of visa-free travel.

The European Commission said that it would report back regularly to the European Council and the European Parliament.

Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affairs welcomed the November 8 decision: "Today is an historical day for Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
"The citizens of these two countries will soon be able to travel with a biometric passport without visa to the EU countries participating in the common visa policy and those associated to the Schengen area.
 
"Visa free travel will facilitate people-to-people contacts, enhance business opportunities and give the possibility for the people of the region to get to know the EU better," she said.
 
But, Malmström said,"a visa-free regime also comes with responsibilities for both the governments and the people of the countries benefiting from this freedom".
 
In the framework of previous visa liberalisation processes with the Western Balkans, she said, "we noticed an increased influx of unfounded asylum requests".
 
Malmströmsaid that this had been of "major concern" for EU member states and had prompted the European Commission to set up a post-visa monitoring process that aims at preventing risks of misuse and abuse of the asylum procedures.
 
"It is of the utmost importance that Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to intensify their information campaign with the aim to properly explain to their citizens the meaning of short-term visa-free travel and what it entails, in particular warning against misuse for purposes incompatible with visa-free travel," she said.
 
"I am confident that the efforts made by the authorities of the two countries, together with the monitoring mechanism, will offer an effective response to these worries and will allow citizens from Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully benefit from this historical opportunity," Malmström said.
 
Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement, said that the visa-free regime is the best proof that reforms at home bring tangible benefits for citizens and progress in relations with the EU.
 
"We can build on this in order to further the reforms needed to bring the two countries closer to their European aspirations," Füle said.