The Committee
on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report drafted by
Tanja FAJON (S&D, SI) amending, under the consultation procedure, the proposal
for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the
third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing
the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that
requirement.
The amendments
proposed by the parliamentary committee aim to put the Western Balkans on an
equal footing as regards visa exemptions.
The main
amendments were as follows:
- Including
Albania and Bosnia in the proposed exemption regime: MEPs recall that the Commission initiated the current visa
liberalisation dialogue with a regional approach and a European perspective,
involving countries of the Western Balkans on an equal footing and without
any discrimination. In this context, MEPs consider that the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as Albania
and Bosnia and Herzegovina, should be transferred from Annex I to Annex
II (visa exemption) of Regulation (EC) No 539/2001. MEPs stipulate that
the same criteria laid down in the roadmaps for visa liberalisation
should be applied to all countries concerned.
- Postponing
visa exemption if criteria are not met:
according to MEPs, all of the Western Balkan countries that have met the
benchmarks should be admitted to the visa-free travel regime from the
beginning of 2010. Those countries that, despite having made
substantial progress, have not fully met the benchmarks should be
granted the same privilege as soon as they meet the benchmarks as set
out in the corresponding roadmaps for visa liberalisation. The exemption
from the visa requirement should apply to Albania and Bosnia and
Herzegovina after an assessment by the Commission that each meets all
the benchmarks set in the relevant roadmap for visa liberalisation
and after approval of that assessment by the Council. The Commission
should, without delay and no later than in the early 2010, present a
report on the achievements made by Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in
meeting all the benchmarks set in the roadmap. MEPs call on the
Commission to assist the relevant authorities of Albania and Bosnia and
Herzegovina in this respect.
- As
regards Kosovo: lastly, to avoid any new
forms of discrimination against the citizens of this region and with the
aim of furthering the implementation of the Thessaloniki agenda, the
Commission, within the limits of its competence, should start a visa
dialogue with Kosovo with a view to establishing a roadmap for visa
facilitation and liberalisation similar to those established with
Western Balkan countries and to liberalise the issuance of visas as soon
as it is ready.