EU Lawmakers’ Committee Agrees To Lift Visas For Albania, Bosnia
Tirana Times
TIRANA, Sept. 28 – Albanians got another positive sign Tuesday when a European Parliament committee backed plans to lift visa requirements for travelers from Albania and Bosnia.
A European Parliament committee backed plans on Tuesday to lift visa requirements for travelers the two countries, but kept restrictions for those visiting from Kosovo.
The vote helps pave the way for the bloc to end visa rules for the two Balkan states in the coming months.
Bosnia and Albania, with populations of around 3.8 million and 3.2 million respectively, hope to join the EU in the next decade. Visa liberalization is one of the steps the EU uses to prepare them for eventual membership.
Citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania will likely be exempt from EU visa requirements by the end of this year, if on Oct. 7 full EU parliament backs a report adopted Tuesday by the Civil Liberties Committee. The European Commission has indicated that the two countries meet the security requirements.
Last year the EU decided to waive visa requirements for citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, a decision which took effect on Dec. 19.Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania did not meet all the criteria at the time (relating to illegal immigration, public policy and security).
Last May, however, the commission decided that the two countries had made good progress and therefore recommended that the parliament and the EU council give the go-ahead to abolish the visa requirements by the end of the year, for visits of less than three months. The Civil Liberties Committee’s report, drafted by Tanja Fajon and adopted by 49 votes to 2, backs the commission’s proposal. Fajon said this is “a very strong positive message” to Albanian and Bosnian citizens “We are sending a very strong positive message to the citizens of Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina that we are ready to lift the visa requirements”, said Fajon on Tuesday. She called on the Council of Ministers to finalize the process as swiftly as possible.
Only holders of biometric passports will be exempt from the visa rules.
However, the Slovene MEP regretted that Kosovo remains “the only part of the Western Balkans still totally outside the process of visa liberalization” because of “the split between member states over recognition of its independence”.
The EC has presented to the European Parliament and Council of Ministers a working document, which reads that Bosnia and Albania had adopted all measures necessary to meet all of the outstanding issues from the road map of the two West Balkan countries.
The process of visa liberalization in European institutions is expected to get completed in the next two months.
In Tirana, Interior Minister Lulzim Basha said the government would continue reforms to further improve steps they have undertaken for the required benchmarks. He also said the authorities would continue the campaign to show Albania’s citizens that the Schenghen visa does not mean they are free to go and stay for a long time or work in the visited countries.
