On Wednesday, negotiating teams from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a long-awaited agreement on granting short-stay visa freedom to Kosovo.
Today’s agreement between the Parliament and the Council would exempt the holders of passports issued by Kosovo from visa requirements on short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period by 2024. The visa exemption would enter into force once the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is in place, and in any case by 2024.
Kosovo is a potential candidate for EU accession that unilaterally declared its independence in February 2008. The independence is currently not recognised by five EU member states (Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain). The European Parliament has supported visa liberalisation with Kosovo since 2016, after the Commission declared that Kosovo fulfils the criteria of its roadmap for visa liberalisation. Kosovo is currently the only part of the Western Balkans region to not enjoy visa-free travel on short stays with the Schengen area.
After the agreement, the entire Western Balkans region would have a similar visa framework towards the Schengen area. The co-legislators welcome the progress Kosovo has made on its visa liberalisation roadmap. Kosovo is encouraged to align its external visa policy with that of the EU, and member states that do not yet have readmission agreements or arrangements with Kosovo should conclude such agreements or arrangements. MEPs emphasise that Kosovo should respect the principle of non-refoulement when fulfilling its obligations.
After the vote, rapporteur Thijs Reuten (S&D, Netherlands) said: “Kosovo was the last one in the Western Balkans that did not have a visa-free travel regime with the EU yet. The European Parliament has been pushing tirelessly for this decision for years. Finally, Kosovars will be able to travel to the EU for holidays, family visits and business trips without having to apply for a visa. This is a very important moment for its European future.”
The agreement will now have to be endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee and the full house of the European Parliament, as well as the European Council.
