The EP approves the decision on visa liberalization for Kosovo

2023-04-18 13:43:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The EP approves the decision on visa liberalization for Kosovo

Illustrative photo

On Tuesday, the European Parliament approved the decision on the liberalization of visas for the citizens of Kosovo - thus the decision-making procedures on this matter are completed.

The approval was made without a vote, as there were no objections.

"I have not received any proposal to reject the position of the Council [of EU ministers] and no amendment. Therefore, the position of the Council has been approved and the proposed act has been approved", said the President of the EP, Roberta Metsola.

A day later, on April 19, the legal act for the liberalization of visas will be signed, while the only step that must be taken after that is the publication of the decision in the Official Gazette of the EU and its entry into force.

The Council of Ministers of the EU has approved with a simple majority the liberalization of visas for Kosovo, last month.

"The liberalization of visas is now a reality", said the Government of Kosovo in a communique sent to the media.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, described this decision as a "victory" not only for Kosovo, but also "for democracy itself and unity in Europe".

"This decision is the merit of the people of Kosovo, the unparalleled determination shown over the years, despite various delays and injustices," she wrote on Facebook.

It is now clear that the implementation of the decision will not be postponed beyond January 1, 2024.

This issue was related to the ETIAS travel system in Europe, namely its entry into force.

Since the deadline for the operationalization of ETIAS has been postponed to 2024, the lifting of visas for citizens of Kosovo is expected to take place on January 1 of the next year.

In the European Parliament, it was not expected that there would be any problem during the approval procedure, since a large majority of deputies support the liberalization of visas for Kosovo.

In fact, the European Parliament has been the institution of the EU, which has mostly supported the free movement of the citizens of Kosovo and has constantly reprimanded the Council of the EU and the European Commission for, as has been said, unnecessary delays in this process.

The legal act for the liberalization of visas for Kosovo is expected to be signed by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the minister for Europe of Sweden, Jessika Roswall, whose country currently presides over the Council of the EU./ Rel