EP Backs No EU Visas for Bosnia, Albania

October 7, 2010, Thursday

Kosovo will soon be the only European state west of the Black Sea whose citizens will need visas for EU travel as the European Parliament back visa-free travel for the citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On Thursday, the EP supported the motion with 538 votes in favor, and 47 against, while 41 MEPs abstained. The visa-free travel for Bosnians and Albanians still have to be approved by the Council of the EU Interior Ministers next month.

Thus, as of 2011, the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania will be able to travel with no visas to the EU.

In November 2009, the EU abolished the visa requirements for other Western Balkan states – Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Back then Albania and Bosnia were deemed "not ready".

Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans, whose citizens will need visas to travel to EU countries.

The MEPs have expressed their regret that Kosovo is excluded from the process of visa regime liberalization, and is not even expected to be included in it any time soon.

This stems from the fact that only 22 of the 27 EU member states have recognized the independence of the former Serbian province.