EC: visa-free criteria have been met

BRUSSELS, Sep. 20 – The European Commission has concluded the criteria it had established for a visa-free regime with Albania and Bosnia have been met, and the visa requirements could be lifted in December.
The EC presented to the European Parliament (EP) and Council of Ministers a working document which says Albania and Bosnia had taken all the necessary measures to meet the criteria and dealt with all of the outstanding issues.
The process of visa liberalization in European institutions is expected to get completed in the next two months. The European Parliament will vote a report next week and then the European Union member states interior ministers will give the final decision in early November.
If everything goes well, the decision will go into effect by December.
The European Commission said Monday it believes Albania has “fulfilled all the criteria to arrive at the liberalization Šwith the European Union, but the decision now lies with the Council and the European Parliament.”
The comment came from EU commissioner for interior affairs Cecilia Malmstron, who met in Brussels with some of Albania’s top officials.
“I know that some member states still have doubts, we will continue to discuss, but the decision is of course up to the council,” Malmstron said.
If EU’s interior ministers and parliament quickly give their green light, the liberalization of visas with Albania could arrive within the year.