Kosovo's Visa Liberalisation On Hold

The European Commission has revealed that it is not ready to start negotiations with Kosovo over visa liberalisation because Pristina does not have a reintegration package for its returnees. The news comes the day after Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina were confirmed by the European Union's Council of Ministers as the latest members of the white Schengen list, which grants their citizens visa-free travel across much of the EU. The announcement contradicts statements made by Ulrike Lunacek, Rapporteur on Kosovo to the European Parliament, who told Balkan Insight last month that the European Commission, EC, would open formal talks in the “coming weeks”.

Michele Cercone, spokesperson for the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, confirmed to Balkan Insight on Monday that authorities in Pristina were not ready to start the visa dialogue. He stressed that the EC would be ready to start the dialogue with Kosovo once Pristina's authorities proved they have a re-integration strategy for the returnees.

“To my knowledge there has been no promise to do something or a deadline to do something,” Cercone said. Kosovo’s parliament has already adopted a re-admission law, which helps paves the way to start visa dialogue, and has signed a number of re-admission agreements with EU members, so that Kosovars living illegally in these countries can be returned home.

But concern has been raised about the return of Roma from Kosovo, in particular. Both the European Parliament and Council of Europe have attacked Germany's planned return of 10,000 Roma to Kosovo, especially because of the incredibly high unemployment rates among that community. Delays to Kosovo's progress towards the EU at the same time as its neighbours, Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina, take an important step forward will entrench views that the world's youngest country is becoming a ghetto.

This view was confirmed to Balkan Insight last month by Green MEP Lunacek. “Kosovo has just two million people so it would be ridiculous to leave them out and it would affect the democratisation process,” she said. “We cannot leave two million people outside.” The EC's 2010 progress report for Kosovo shows more progress compared to last year’s, But serious concern remains about the lack of forward movement in the fight against corruption and in the protection of media rights. The EC will publish the annual assessment of the western Balkan countries on Tuesday, known as the progress report.

News source: BalkanInsight link: article