11 Oct 2010 / 07:50
The European Commission is expected to formally open Kosovo’s visa liberalisation process in the coming weeks, Ulrike Lunacek, Rapporteur on Kosovo to the European Parliament, has told Balkan Insight.
Lawrence Marzouk
The Green MEP said she expected the European Commission, EC, to open Kosovo’s path towards the White Schengen list, which allows citizens of a country to travel across most of the European Union without a visa, in the ‘next couple of weeks’.
The news follows the European Parliament’s approval last week of plans for Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the list from January.
If the Council of the European Union agrees to extend visa liberalisation to the two Balkan states in November, Kosovars will be the only citizens of the region requiring visas to travel to the EU.
The Austrian politician told Balkan Insight that she agreed with some Kosovars’ fears that such a step would transform Kosovo into a ‘ghetto’.
But she said she is optimistic the liberalisation process will be extended to Pristina.
“Even those countries that don’t recognise Kosovo have said that Kosovo needs to be included in visa liberalisation,” she said, referring to the five member states which have yet to recognise Kosovo’s February 2008 declaration of independence.
But she added that Kosovo’s image as a country of ‘criminals and corruption’ among certain member states, and increasing scepticism voiced by some major European powers, such as France, over extending visa liberalisation, present obstacles on the road to visa liberalisation for the world’s youngest state.
Officials in Paris have expressed doubt in recent weeks about extending visa liberalisation to Albania and Bosnia, which have now fulfilled the technical criteria to become members of the White Schengen List, according to the EC.
“The Commission wants a measure [visa liberalisation] but will not be dealing with its negative impacts,” an unnamed high-level French diplomat told Le Monde earlier this month.
French State Secretary for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche called the visa policy a “matter of security” in a speech to the French parliament on September 29.
He said that France would request “security guarantees” from Albania and Bosnia before it will support visa liberalisation.
Despite the comments, Lunacek said she remained confident that the Council of the European Union would approve the move for the two countries next month.
Visa liberalisation for Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia was granted in January this year and led to a spike in asylum claims in Belgium filed by citizens mainly from Serbia and Macedonia.
In recent weeks it has emerged that Sweden has become the latest destination for Serbians seeking asylum.
According to local reports, of the 22,045 applicants that have sought asylum in Sweden this year, about 4,000 declared Serbian citizenship, compared with 421 in the same period last year. In September alone, 1,410 Serbian citizens arrived in the country seeking asylum.
Lunacek said the issue was raised in a recent meeting between the EU and the Serbian government and called on the countries which joined the list in January to act responsibly.
“There is a responsibility to those that already have liberalisation to make it clear to their citizens that visa liberalisation is not for seeking asylum or seeking a job.”
But she said that Kosovo must not be excluded from the process as a result of these problems, adding that the government in Pristina had already fulfilled ‘almost all the criteria’ for liberalisation.
“Kosovo has just two million people so it would be ridiculous to leave them out and it would affect the democratisation process,” she said.“We cannot leave two million people outside.”
The Green MEP said she expected the European Commission, EC, to open Kosovo’s path towards the White Schengen list, which allows citizens of a country to travel across most of the European Union without a visa, in the ‘next couple of weeks’.
The news follows the European Parliament’s approval last week of plans for Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the list from January.
If the Council of the European Union agrees to extend visa liberalisation to the two Balkan states in November, Kosovars will be the only citizens of the region requiring visas to travel to the EU.
The Austrian politician told Balkan Insight that she agreed with some Kosovars’ fears that such a step would transform Kosovo into a ‘ghetto’.
But she said she is optimistic the liberalisation process will be extended to Pristina.
“Even those countries that don’t recognise Kosovo have said that Kosovo needs to be included in visa liberalisation,” she said, referring to the five member states which have yet to recognise Kosovo’s February 2008 declaration of independence.
But she added that Kosovo’s image as a country of ‘criminals and corruption’ among certain member states, and increasing scepticism voiced by some major European powers, such as France, over extending visa liberalisation, present obstacles on the road to visa liberalisation for the world’s youngest state.
Officials in Paris have expressed doubt in recent weeks about extending visa liberalisation to Albania and Bosnia, which have now fulfilled the technical criteria to become members of the White Schengen List, according to the EC.
“The Commission wants a measure [visa liberalisation] but will not be dealing with its negative impacts,” an unnamed high-level French diplomat told Le Monde earlier this month.
French State Secretary for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche called the visa policy a “matter of security” in a speech to the French parliament on September 29.
He said that France would request “security guarantees” from Albania and Bosnia before it will support visa liberalisation.
Despite the comments, Lunacek said she remained confident that the Council of the European Union would approve the move for the two countries next month.
Visa liberalisation for Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia was granted in January this year and led to a spike in asylum claims in Belgium filed by citizens mainly from Serbia and Macedonia.
In recent weeks it has emerged that Sweden has become the latest destination for Serbians seeking asylum.
According to local reports, of the 22,045 applicants that have sought asylum in Sweden this year, about 4,000 declared Serbian citizenship, compared with 421 in the same period last year. In September alone, 1,410 Serbian citizens arrived in the country seeking asylum.
Lunacek said the issue was raised in a recent meeting between the EU and the Serbian government and called on the countries which joined the list in January to act responsibly.
“There is a responsibility to those that already have liberalisation to make it clear to their citizens that visa liberalisation is not for seeking asylum or seeking a job.”
But she said that Kosovo must not be excluded from the process as a result of these problems, adding that the government in Pristina had already fulfilled ‘almost all the criteria’ for liberalisation.
“Kosovo has just two million people so it would be ridiculous to leave them out and it would affect the democratisation process,” she said.“We cannot leave two million people outside.”
balkan insight
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου