EU: Bosnia, Albania Need to Work More for Visa Free Travel

Brussels 23 April 2010 By Gjeraqina Tuhina


European CommissionBalkan Insight has obtained a copy of an EU assessment of the progress made by Albania and Bosnia in the implementation of the roadmap for visa liberalisation, which indicates that whilst both countries have made progress in meeting benchmarks, more effort is needed.

Although there is a chance that Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina might receive a positive recommendation from Brussels on the implementation of a visa free travel regime, Tirana and Sarajevo should not rest on their laurels as more work is needed before agreement is reached.

Without further progress, the two countries may well have to wait longer and will probably not enjoy visa free travel in time for the summer holidays, as they had initially hoped. The report, prepared by EU experts, guages the level of progress of both Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in meeting the necessary requirements for the visa liberalisation process.

The European Commission was expected to deliver a positive recommendation at the end of May or the beginning of June but according to the experts’ report, further conditions will need to be met before such approval can be given.

The report was sent to EU member states last Friday and it underlines that both countries have met the “majority of benchmarks from the roadmap” that would enable them to be put on the “White Schengen” list - countries whose citizens do not require a visa to travel within the zone.

Last year, both countries were judged to have failed to meet the necessary conditions and were excluded from first wave countries in the region, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia which were added to the “White Schengen” list. ....

more see;

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/analysis/27572/