The suspension of visas for Kosovo cannot be done without a procedure in the Council of the EU

2023-10-17 15:37:15, Kosova & Bota CNA

The suspension of visas for Kosovo cannot be done without a procedure in the

In April 2023, the decision to liberalize visas for Kosovo was also formally approved by the EU.

Some diplomatic sources within the European Union (EU) have clarified that it is not possible for a country to unilaterally suspend visa liberalization for another country and that this can only be done through a regulation from the Council of the EU, after a statements by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, which caused consternation in Kosovo on Tuesday.

While for many media in Kosovo, Macron "threatened" with the suspension of visas for Kosovo when he said on Tuesday in Tirana that "we have made a gesture of confidence on the issue of visas. As for France, they [visas] have been removed because we respect our word. Today, the word is not being kept", but sources within the European bloc said that France has not made such a request.

Sources from Brussels told Radio Free Europe on Tuesday that the suspension is only possible through procedures in the EU Council "using the regulation on the visa suspension mechanism" from 2018.

"France, nor any other EU member state, at the moment has not proposed the suspension of visas for Kosovo, or for Serbia. But, if there will be political interest, she can do this", said a source of the European Union.

In April of this year, the decision to liberalize visas for Kosovo was also formally approved by the EU and was published in the official newspaper of the European Union the same month.

From January 1, 2024, citizens of Kosovo are expected to travel without visas to 27 EU countries, which make up the so-called Schengen area.

To suspend this decision, another decision must be taken by the Council of the EU. This can be done at the request of either the European Commission or any member state. Then, the member countries of the Council can vote on the possible suspension.

Until now, it had only happened once that an EU member state requested the suspension of visa liberalization for a country in the region.

In 2019, the Netherlands requested that visa liberalization for citizens of the Republic of Albania be suspended. As a justification, he mentioned the danger that Albanian citizens involved in organized crime in the Netherlands pose to the national security of this country.

But the European Commission rejected this request./ REL