EC: Visa abolition possible by 2009

EU help to Serbia on her road to integration is not conditioned by any political issue, save the Hague, says Pierre Mirel. Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and Head of the European Commission Delegation to Serbia Josep Lloveras yesterday signed a financial agreement, approving a non-returnable donation of EUR 165mn to Serbia. EC: Visa abolition possible by 2009 European Commission Director for the Western Balkans Mirel, who later spoke to B92’s Poligraf, also attended the ceremony in the Palace of Serbia. He said that last November a framework assistance program worth EUR 1bn had been signed to cover the next five years, and that yesterday’s agreement concerned the first installment of that subsidy. “Under this program, EUR 10mn goes to Nis and Belgrade for improvements to the emergency services system, pollution reduction at Nikola Tesla power station, and assistance to local self-governments—these are the concrete examples,” said Mirel. The EC official said that one of the aims was abolishment of the visa regime for Serbian citizens, and that that matter would be brought up in Brussels in the next few weeks, and that a list of conditions would be drawn up for abolition.” “Travel documents need to be provided, the new ones with biometric data, and frontiers have to be guarded and controlled properly. These are technical conditions, and we’re sure that Serbia will meet them relatively soon. So, a decision might be taken in the first half of 2009 to completely scrap the visa regime,” he explained. As far as signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) was concerned, Mirel said that he could not understand certain Serbian politicians who were ruling it out because of the EU’s position on Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration, when the agreement stipulated that the province’s status was still governed by Resolution 1244, and that article was unchangeable as long as the resolution remained in force. The EC official reiterated that there were no conditions attached to concluding the agreement other than full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Rupel, Kouchner, advocate free visas Earlier this week, an open letter by Slovenian and French foreign ministers, Dimitrij Rupel and Bernard Kouchner, said that the 27 EU foreign ministers sent a clear message of reaffirmation of the EU perspective for the Western Balkans from their Brdo pri Kranju informal summit last weekend. "Notable was the presence at Brdo of both Serbian Foreign Minister [Vuk] Jeremic as well as Kosovo PM [Hashim]Thaci. The EU acknowledged in February that the decision to recognize Kosovo is left to individual member states, but this does not change the common commitment Kosovo should take part into the regional co-operation and benefit from the EU perspective for the region, of which it is a part," the letter said. "The Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia was initialed last November and now waits to be signed. Undoubtedly, Serbia needs to meet its international and moral obligations in order to join the EU family. We understand that Serbia on the eve of elections is uncertain about its future and lukewarm about Europe." "It is therefore the conviction of both the current and the future EU Presidencies that partners need to find innovative ways to give Serbia’s pro-European forces this much needed boost, while not compromising on values on which the EU is based. As Kosovo, Serbia is in many respects a unique case too. For this reason as proposed in Brdo, we want to show the willingness of the EU towards the people Serbia and put forward the proposal of trying to get a free of charge visa regime towards Serbia," Rupel and Kouchner wrote. "We will, however, insist firmly that Serbia respect previously made commitments and refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric or activities which might endanger the security situation in the region. We fully respect the feelings of our Serbian friends, but good regional co-operation is one of the conditions for the EU aspiring countries and this goes as well for Serbia." "And EULEX and EUSR missions to Kosovo are a sign of the EU commitment for Kosovo. One cannot at the same time aspire to join EU while refuse talking to its missions that are there for the sake of Kosovo Serbs in the first place. Above all, Serbia should not let the Kosovo issue to determine its relationship with the EU," the letter said. "One measure that could win hearts and minds of people in the Balkans is to continue working on the visa-liberalization plans for all countries of the region by completing soon the so-called roadmaps, setting down realistic and concrete conditions which, if and when met, would open way to visa-free travel," the ministers wrote.

EC: Visa abolition possible by 2009

European Commission Director for the Western Balkans Mirel, who later spoke to B92’s Poligraf, also attended the ceremony in the Palace of Serbia.

He said that last November a framework assistance program worth EUR 1bn had been signed to cover the next five years, and that yesterday’s agreement concerned the first installment of that subsidy.

“Under this program, EUR 10mn goes to Niš and Belgrade for improvements to the emergency services system, pollution reduction at Nikola Tesla power station, and assistance to local self-governments—these are the concrete examples,” said Mirel.

The EC official said that one of the aims was abolishment of the visa regime for Serbian citizens, and that that matter would be brought up in Brussels in the next few weeks, and that a list of conditions would be drawn up for abolition.”

“Travel documents need to be provided, the new ones with biometric data, and frontiers have to be guarded and controlled properly. These are technical conditions, and we’re sure that Serbia will meet them relatively soon. So, a decision might be taken in the first half of 2009 to completely scrap the visa regime,” he explained.

As far as signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) was concerned, Mirel said that he could not understand certain Serbian politicians who were ruling it out because of the EU’s position on Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration, when the agreement stipulated that the province’s status was still governed by Resolution 1244, and that article was unchangeable as long as the resolution remained in force.

The EC official reiterated that there were no conditions attached to concluding the agreement other than full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

Rupel, Kouchner, advocate free visas

Earlier this week, an open letter by Slovenian and French foreign ministers, Dimitrij Rupel and Bernard Kouchner, said that the 27 EU foreign ministers sent a clear message of reaffirmation of the EU perspective for the Western Balkans from their Brdo pri Kranju informal summit last weekend.

"Notable was the presence at Brdo of both Serbian Foreign Minister [Vuk] Jeremić as well as Kosovo PM [Hashim]Thaci. The EU acknowledged in February that the decision to recognize Kosovo is left to individual member states, but this does not change the common commitment Kosovo should take part into the regional co-operation and benefit from the EU perspective for the region, of which it is a part," the letter said.

"The Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia was initialed last November and now waits to be signed. Undoubtedly, Serbia needs to meet its international and moral obligations in order to join the EU family. We understand that Serbia on the eve of elections is uncertain about its future and lukewarm about Europe."

"It is therefore the conviction of both the current and the future EU Presidencies that partners need to find innovative ways to give Serbia’s pro-European forces this much needed boost, while not compromising on values on which the EU is based. As Kosovo, Serbia is in many respects a unique case too. For this reason as proposed in Brdo, we want to show the willingness of the EU towards the people Serbia and put forward the proposal of trying to get a free of charge visa regime towards Serbia," Rupel and Kouchner wrote.

"We will, however, insist firmly that Serbia respect previously made commitments and refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric or activities which might endanger the security situation in the region. We fully respect the feelings of our Serbian friends, but good regional co-operation is one of the conditions for the EU aspiring countries and this goes as well for Serbia."

"And EULEX and EUSR missions to Kosovo are a sign of the EU commitment for Kosovo. One cannot at the same time aspire to join EU while refuse talking to its missions that are there for the sake of Kosovo Serbs in the first place. Above all, Serbia should not let the Kosovo issue to determine its relationship with the EU," the letter said.

"One measure that could win hearts and minds of people in the Balkans is to continue working on the visa-liberalization plans for all countries of the region by completing soon the so-called roadmaps, setting down realistic and concrete conditions which, if and when met, would open way to visa-free travel," the ministers wrote.