Representatives of the European Parliament, Fee and Council on Wednesday reached an settlement on visa liberalisation for Kosovo with implementation no later than 1 January 2024.
The brand new guidelines would enable Kosovo passport holders to journey to the EU and not using a visa for a interval of keep of 90 days in any 180 days. Kosovo was assessed as having met the standards for liberalisation in 2018 however confronted plenty of delays and obstacles from different member states.
“On Wednesday, the negotiation groups of the Parliament and the Council reached the long-awaited settlement on the liberalisation of visas for Kosovo”, it’s acknowledged within the press launch of the European Parliament.
The liberalisation of visas shall be contingent on working the European journey system, ETIAS, which requires international residents travelling and not using a visa to the EU to register their particulars beforehand.
On behalf of the EP, the negotiations with the Council had been carried out by rapporteur Thijs Reuten.
“The EU left Kosovo ready for much too lengthy. It was the final nation within the Western Balkans that didn’t have a visa-free journey regime with the EU but. 4 years after they fulfilled all of the situations, we lastly dwell as much as our promise. As of 2024, residents of Kosovo can lastly journey to the EU for holidays, household visits, and enterprise journeys with out having to use for a visa. “, he mentioned.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after the 1998-1999 Kosovo-Serbia warfare, has confronted many roadblocks in Europe. 5 EU international locations, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Romania, and Slovakia, don’t recognise it, primarily as a consequence of their very own territorial points.
Now the settlement should be voted on within the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Dwelling Affairs (LIBE) within the European Parliament after which within the plenary session. After that, it’s confirmed by the Council of the EU.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
