21/10/2010
The mood is jubilant, but some questions whether the EU will grant BiH visa liberalisation this year.
By Ljiljana Kovacevic for Southeast European Times in Banja Luka -- 21/10/10
The mood is jubilant, but some questions whether the EU will grant BiH visa liberalisation this year.
By Ljiljana Kovacevic for Southeast European Times in Banja Luka -- 21/10/10
The European Parliament (EP) took a long-awaited step earlier this month, endorsing the European Commission's (EC) proposal to abolish visas for BiH and Albanian citizens by year's end. The EU Council of Ministers will have a final say at its meeting on November 8th and 9th.
In BiH, the mood is jubilant.
"We expect the EU interior and justice ministers to confirm the European Parliament's decision. The signals we received [suggest] the decision will be positive," BiH Ambassador to the EU Osman Topcagic told SETimes.
The majority of EP members voted in favour of the European Commission's initiative -- which concluded last May. It affirmed that BiH met the requirements in the requisite fields for abolishing visas -- security, illegal migration and crime.
"The EP gave strong support, 538 deputies voted in favour, so I think that BiH is ready.The fact that now some would open new dilemmas would only mean a political intensification of the situation," EP Rapporteur for Visa Regime Liberalisation Tanya Fajon said.
France, Denmark and the Netherlands, however, have asked for additional security guarantees from BiH to support the visa-free regime.
"It was not in opposition to visa abolition for BiH citizens but about seeking additional information and verification," Topcagic said.
Many of these guarantees were already presented by fulfilling the 174 conditions contained in the roadmap that the EC established for BiH.
"Fulfilling the roadmap will help us in the process of European integration, and will improve both the safety of our citizens and citizens of Europe," said Topcagic.
He could not say when the decision to liberalise the visa regime can enter into force.
"By being placed on the 'white Schengen list' our job is not finished. We will continue to improve institutions and work on introducing European standards in order to accelerate our approach to European integration," Topcagic noted.
Nebojsa Radmanovic, a member BiH's tripartite presidency, said that no EU council country will block the decision to abolish the visa regime.
"If it does happen, then the Europeans will show they don't want BiH, and perhaps most of the Western Balkans, in the EU. That strategy is not good," Radmanovic said.
In BiH, the mood is jubilant.
"We expect the EU interior and justice ministers to confirm the European Parliament's decision. The signals we received [suggest] the decision will be positive," BiH Ambassador to the EU Osman Topcagic told SETimes.
The majority of EP members voted in favour of the European Commission's initiative -- which concluded last May. It affirmed that BiH met the requirements in the requisite fields for abolishing visas -- security, illegal migration and crime.
"The EP gave strong support, 538 deputies voted in favour, so I think that BiH is ready.The fact that now some would open new dilemmas would only mean a political intensification of the situation," EP Rapporteur for Visa Regime Liberalisation Tanya Fajon said.
France, Denmark and the Netherlands, however, have asked for additional security guarantees from BiH to support the visa-free regime.
"It was not in opposition to visa abolition for BiH citizens but about seeking additional information and verification," Topcagic said.
Many of these guarantees were already presented by fulfilling the 174 conditions contained in the roadmap that the EC established for BiH.
"Fulfilling the roadmap will help us in the process of European integration, and will improve both the safety of our citizens and citizens of Europe," said Topcagic.
He could not say when the decision to liberalise the visa regime can enter into force.
"By being placed on the 'white Schengen list' our job is not finished. We will continue to improve institutions and work on introducing European standards in order to accelerate our approach to European integration," Topcagic noted.
Nebojsa Radmanovic, a member BiH's tripartite presidency, said that no EU council country will block the decision to abolish the visa regime.
"If it does happen, then the Europeans will show they don't want BiH, and perhaps most of the Western Balkans, in the EU. That strategy is not good," Radmanovic said.
He adds that BiH has fulfilled a higher number of requirements for visa liberalisation than other countries in the region.
Liberalisation will allow BiH citizens who have biometric passports to spend up to three months in participating EU member states.
Jovana Bjelakovic, 20, a student from Banja Luka, hopes that will help her visit relatives in Milan, Italy. "Almost every year I go to visit them. However, much time and money is spent on trips to Sarajevo and the issue of visas by the Italian Embassy. I hope that it will finally come to an end," she told SETimes.
But to Danilo Gajic, 74, a retiree in Banja Luka, visa liberalisation does not account for much. "The pension I receive is insufficient to meet my basic needs, let alone to travel abroad. Those who have money have traveled as in the past, and those who lack money will hardly do so in the future," he said.
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.
Liberalisation will allow BiH citizens who have biometric passports to spend up to three months in participating EU member states.
Jovana Bjelakovic, 20, a student from Banja Luka, hopes that will help her visit relatives in Milan, Italy. "Almost every year I go to visit them. However, much time and money is spent on trips to Sarajevo and the issue of visas by the Italian Embassy. I hope that it will finally come to an end," she told SETimes.
But to Danilo Gajic, 74, a retiree in Banja Luka, visa liberalisation does not account for much. "The pension I receive is insufficient to meet my basic needs, let alone to travel abroad. Those who have money have traveled as in the past, and those who lack money will hardly do so in the future," he said.
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.
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