Representatives of the European Parliament, Commission and Council on Wednesday reached an agreement on visa liberalisation for Kosovo with implementation no later than 1 January 2024.
The new rules would allow Kosovo passport holders to travel to the EU without a visa for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180 days. Kosovo was assessed as having met the criteria for liberalisation in 2018 but faced a number of delays and obstacles from other member states.
“On Wednesday, the negotiation teams of the Parliament and the Council reached the long-awaited agreement on the liberalisation of visas for Kosovo”, it is stated in the press release of the European Parliament.
The liberalisation of visas will be contingent on operating the European travel system, ETIAS, which requires foreign citizens travelling without a visa to the EU to register their details beforehand.
On behalf of the EP, the negotiations with the Council were conducted by rapporteur Thijs Reuten.
“The EU left Kosovo waiting for far too long. It was the last country in the Western Balkans that did not have a visa-free travel regime with the EU yet. Four years after they fulfilled all the conditions, we finally live up to our promise. As of 2024, citizens of Kosovo can finally travel to the EU for holidays, family visits, and business trips without having to apply for a visa. “, he said.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after the 1998-1999 Kosovo-Serbia war, has faced many roadblocks in Europe. Five EU countries, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Romania, and Slovakia, do not recognise it, mainly due to their own territorial issues.
Now the agreement must be voted on in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) in the European Parliament and then in the plenary session. After that, it is confirmed by the Council of the EU.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
Source: euractiv.com
