EU:Better but still shortcomings

TIRANA, Sep 3 – European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn held a speech Wednesday at the European Parliament where he also spoke on Albania, its elections and also the prospects of the visa free regime.
The June 28 parliamentary polls seem to have been the focus of the EU attention recently.
Rehn said that “Albania’s recent elections were better than in previous years, though there were still shortcomings. We are waiting for OSCE/ODIHR to provide its final assessment on the conduct of the elections. Let’s see what happens. The Commission is ready to prepare its Opinion on Albania’s membership application once the Council requests it. Meanwhile, Albania continues to implement its Stabilization and Association Agreement.”
So that was a relatively good sign for the country in its progress toward EU membership though it seems still far away, also when compared to other neighboring or regional countries like Croatia and Macedonia or Montenegro.
Rehn also was quizzed by European parliamentarians as to why the European Commission has lifted visa requirements for three Balkan countries but kept them in place for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania.
A few weeks before the Commission adopts its latest report on enlargement, on 14 October, Rehn commented on its recent decision to partially waive the requirement for Schengen visas for three western Balkan countries.
“The abolition of visas is not just a political decision but is linked to compliance with particular criteria”, said the Commissioner.
On15 July the Commission adopted a proposal to exempt citizens of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia from EU visa rules. Provided they have the new biometric passports, people from these three countries will be able to travel freely around the Schengen zone from 1 January 2010.
The Commissioner said that the Commission could review the situation of Bosnia and Albania in mid-2010, depending on progress made by these countries on border controls, combating organized crime and introducing biometric passports.
The coordinators of Parliament’s main political groups highlighted the potential risk of regional instability created by the Commission’s decision. For example, Bosnian Serbs and Croats who have dual nationality will be able to travel freely to the EU.
Parliamentarians believe that Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina should follow their neighbors soon. If they keep up the pace of reforms and thus meet the conditions, the Commission could envisage making a new proposal by mid-2010. The speed of these countries’ progress towards visa-free travel is in the hands of their own leaders.
Once the proposal will enter into force, the brand new biometric passport will be enough to travel to the ‘Schengen countries.’ For the citizens of the Western Balkans this means no more queuing at embassies, no more visa fees, and no more collecting of supporting documents such as invitation letters and tickets. They will be able to visit family and friends in the EU without having to undergo lengthy visa procedures. It will be easier for young people to study in the EU.
In a nutshell, this will mean a further Europeanization of civil society in the Western Balkans. It shows that European integration is not only a matter of integrating nations, but also peoples and citizens.