Tirana Times
TIRANA, Oct. 7 – European lawmakers on Thursday backed in a vote the proposal to exempt nationals of Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina from visas by the end of 2010.
The EP, like the European Commission, are convinced that these two countries meet the required conditions on document security and combating illegal immigration and crime.
Last year the EU decided to waive visa requirements for citizens of Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia which took effect on 19 December that year. At that time, Albania and Bosnia had not meet all the criteria on illegal immigration, public policy and security.
Last May, however, the Commission decided that the two countries had made good progress and recommended that Parliament and the Council give the go-ahead to abolish the visa requirements by the end of the year, for visits of less than three months.
The report by Tanja Fajon was adopted Thursday by 538 votes to 47, with 41 abstentions, backing the Commission’s proposal.
Only holders of biometric passports will be exempt from the visa rules.
The proposal to waive visa requirements still needs to be approved by the Council of Ministers by a qualified majority in November.
On Wednesday during the parliamentary debate, Fajon said the decision “will strengthen trust among people and speed up reforms” in Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, who are “on the path to membership”.
“Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina have fulfilled all the conditions and are ready for the abolition of visas. This has been confirmed by the European Commission (…) it is time to send a positive message to those countries, we will tear down the visa walls (…) people deserve it more than ever” she said. Albanian authorities in Tirana hailed the decision and continued the assurances to the EU member countries that the road map on the visa liberalization will continue to be a continuous program in the future.
That means that the fight against organized crime and corruption, management of borders and local authorities need to continuously keep in line with European standards.
It is natural that the decision will also be exploited politically from the governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, especially ahead of the local elections expected in May next year.
Kosovo still “outside the process”
Unfortunately the European Parliament had nothing to do on the visa liberalization for Kosovo.
The rapporteur regretted that Kosovo remained “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 Schenghen visa liberalization does not include the UK and Ireland, two countries that have not opted in to this legislation.
