EC sources react to "reintroduction of visas"

BRUSSELS The European Commission has not learned nor has it been informed that most EU countries wish to reintroduce visas for Serbians traveling to the Schengen zone. Beta news agency is quoting its sources in Brussels on Tuesday to report that they also noted that it was "clear that some EU governments are very upset because of the growing number of fake asylum seekers". EC sources react to "reintroduction of visas" Officials in Brussels also said that urgent measures were required in order to end the abuse of the visa-free regime. The sources also pointed out that the current procedure for a reintroduction of visas was long and complex, so some EU countries who reported the highest number of fake asylum seekers demanded an urgent procedure in the European Parliament in order to adopt a "protection clause" - a mechanism that would enable for the visa-free regime to be quickly temporarily suspended "under exceptional circumstances". "Nothing can be done in the short-term before the mechanism has been adopted, and once it takes effect, the European Commission will suggest concrete measures based on the data and evidence submitted by member-countries," the news agency quoted its sources as saying. They added that six EU member states for that reason asked the commission to consider, at the upcoming ministerial meeting, what the EU and the western Balkans countries must to to reverse the trend of a growing number of asylum seekers. Urgent measures for stopping the influx of false asylum seekers from the western Balkans have been requested, but not a reintroduction of visas, and this will be discussed at the ministerial council on October 25, spokesperson for the EU commissioner for home affairs Michele Cercone told a news conference on Monday. The countries "hardest-hit" by the trend have been named by EC officials as Germany, Holland, France, Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg. These six countries "believe that this is completely unacceptable and that any kind of patience has reached its end". A Tanjug report from Vienna on Tuesday quoted spokesperson for the Austrian Interior Ministry Carl-Heinz Grundboeck, who said that his country was not demanding that visas be reintroduced for Serbian citizens. He could not verify the information stated in Brussels on Monday, that Austria is among the countries seeking this measure. Austria, unlike Germany, has not had an increase in asylum seekers from Serbia, he stressed. If the European Commission introduces general steps against fake asylum seekers, then Austria will back that up, Grundboeck said, but pointed out that he could not verify the information that Austria wanted visas introduced for Serbian citizens and that it had not signed a letter with which the six countries reportedly made their request. Grundboeck stated that the Austrian interior and foreign ministries had said they would support an initiative to adopt general measures against abuse of the asylum status in the EU. (Beta/AP, file) B92 Beta Tanjug

EC sources react to "reintroduction of visas"

Officials in Brussels also said that urgent measures were required in order to end the abuse of the visa-free regime.

The sources also pointed out that the current procedure for a reintroduction of visas was long and complex, so some EU countries who reported the highest number of fake asylum seekers demanded an urgent procedure in the European Parliament in order to adopt a "protection clause" - a mechanism that would enable for the visa-free regime to be quickly temporarily suspended "under exceptional circumstances".

"Nothing can be done in the short-term before the mechanism has been adopted, and once it takes effect, the European Commission will suggest concrete measures based on the data and evidence submitted by member-countries," the news agency quoted its sources as saying.

They added that six EU member states for that reason asked the commission to consider, at the upcoming ministerial meeting, what the EU and the western Balkans countries must to to reverse the trend of a growing number of asylum seekers.

Urgent measures for stopping the influx of false asylum seekers from the western Balkans have been requested, but not a reintroduction of visas, and this will be discussed at the ministerial council on October 25, spokesperson for the EU commissioner for home affairs Michele Cercone told a news conference on Monday.

The countries "hardest-hit" by the trend have been named by EC officials as Germany, Holland, France, Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg. These six countries "believe that this is completely unacceptable and that any kind of patience has reached its end".

A Tanjug report from Vienna on Tuesday quoted spokesperson for the Austrian Interior Ministry Carl-Heinz Grundboeck, who said that his country was not demanding that visas be reintroduced for Serbian citizens.

He could not verify the information stated in Brussels on Monday, that Austria is among the countries seeking this measure.

Austria, unlike Germany, has not had an increase in asylum seekers from Serbia, he stressed.

If the European Commission introduces general steps against fake asylum seekers, then Austria will back that up, Grundboeck said, but pointed out that he could not verify the information that Austria wanted visas introduced for Serbian citizens and that it had not signed a letter with which the six countries reportedly made their request.

Grundboeck stated that the Austrian interior and foreign ministries had said they would support an initiative to adopt general measures against abuse of the asylum status in the EU.