EU ministers discuss visa liberalization

EU interior ministers and their colleagues from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland will discuss today a European Commission report.

Izvor: Tanjug

Thursday, 09.06.2011.

11:27

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EU interior ministers and their colleagues from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland will discuss today a European Commission report. It concerns a monitoring mechanism for the visa liberalization in the Western Balkans and a new proposal that would allow a quick suspension of the visa liberalization if needed. EU ministers discuss visa liberalization European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom will present the report on the monitoring mechanism, whose introduction was agreed back in November. The report states that although there are numerous abuses concerning the visa liberalization, most travelers come with good intentions. Only a small number of them, and 80 percent of that number are Roma and ethnic Albanians, use the liberalization to seek asylum without a good cause. The main goal of the liberalization has been accomplished, which is to improve connections between people, business opportunities and cultural exchange and to help those from outside the EU learn more about it, according to the document. However, the countries of the Western Balkans have to do more in their reforms so that these achievements would be preserved, the report states. The monitoring mechanism is the result of a compromise between the European Commission and a number of EU members who were against an unconditional visa liberalization with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania, fearing that it could lead to the same kind of abuses that followed the decision to allow free travel from Serbia and Macedonia. Malmstrom will also present the proposal to change the regulations regarding visa-free travel from countries outside the EU, which would allow a temporary suspension of the free travel regime in case of necessity. After the ministers are acquainted with the proposal, it should be presented to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

EU ministers discuss visa liberalization

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom will present the report on the monitoring mechanism, whose introduction was agreed back in November.

The report states that although there are numerous abuses concerning the visa liberalization, most travelers come with good intentions. Only a small number of them, and 80 percent of that number are Roma and ethnic Albanians, use the liberalization to seek asylum without a good cause.

The main goal of the liberalization has been accomplished, which is to improve connections between people, business opportunities and cultural exchange and to help those from outside the EU learn more about it, according to the document.

However, the countries of the Western Balkans have to do more in their reforms so that these achievements would be preserved, the report states.

The monitoring mechanism is the result of a compromise between the European Commission and a number of EU members who were against an unconditional visa liberalization with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania, fearing that it could lead to the same kind of abuses that followed the decision to allow free travel from Serbia and Macedonia.

Malmstrom will also present the proposal to change the regulations regarding visa-free travel from countries outside the EU, which would allow a temporary suspension of the free travel regime in case of necessity.

After the ministers are acquainted with the proposal, it should be presented to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

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