Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 27 March 2019 - Strasbourg

Listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Kosovo) (debate)

  Angelika Mlinar, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, I would like to start by thanking our rapporteur, Tanja Fajon, and all the shadow rapporteurs, for all the efforts made on this file. The file has been a work in progress in the European Parliament since 2016, when already at that time, the Commission proposed lifting the visa requirements for the people of Kosovo by transferring Kosovo to the visa—free list of short stays in the Schengen area.

As mentioned before by Commissioner Avramopoulos, the Commission announced last July that the two most important requirements for the visa waiver had been fulfilled. Firstly, Kosovo had ratified the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro and, secondly, Kosovo has strengthened its track record in the fight against organised crime and corruption. In September, Parliament voted in favour of entering into interinstitutional negotiations, and tomorrow we will vote to keep the position positive, so the visa waiver can be finalised during the next legislature.

Kosovo has been isolated on the Balkans visa liberalisation map for far too long. Visa liberalisation would be a fair and natural next step for this country. The benefits of a liberalised visa regime are considerable. This decision will further facilitate people—to—people contacts, improve professional and educational exchange, boost economic partnerships and strengthen social and cultural ties between the EU and Kosovo. This agreement would also help the EU to promote reforms in third countries in relation to strengthening respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law. The visa waiver can even help to discourage people smugglers whose services would no longer be required.

I call on the Member States and on the Council to adopt a position as soon as possible so that negotiations can finally begin. There is no room for prejudice preventing the people of Kosovo from travelling freely into the Schengen area.