Civil liberties MEPs back visa waivers for Kosovo and Georgia

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee endorsed on 5 September 2016 plans to grant citizens of Kosovo and Georgia the right to travel to the Schengen area without a visa.

Regarding Kosovo, the decision was seen as sending a message to its citizens regarding its EU accession aspirations. The visa liberalisation process started in 2012. In May 2016, the European Commission proposed the lifting of visa obligations for Kosovars. The Council of the European Union discussed the proposal in June 2016. One of the requirements for a successful conclusion was the signing of a border agreement with Montenegro.

Regarding Georgia, the rapporteur believed that the visa waiver was an important instrument for stepping up economic and cultural relations and intensifying political dialogue. The process of visa liberalisation started in 2012 and the Commission adopted the proposal in March 2016. The proposal was also discussed by the Council in June 2016.

Members of the committee agreed to start negotiaitons with the Council for a common position in the Georgian case, but not in Kosovo's.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Member states use Brexit referendum to delay visa waivers http://www.europeansources.info/record/member-states-use-brexit-referendum-to-delay-visa-waivers/

ESO: Background information: EU-Georgia: delay in the visa liberalisation process http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-georgia-delay-in-the-visa-liberalisation-process/

EurActiv, 06.09.16: EU moves closer to visa-free travel for Georgia, Ukraine may follow http://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/eu-moves-closer-to-visa-free-travel-for-georgia-ukraine-may-follow/

EUObserver, 05.09.16: [Opinion] Georgia's EU visa waiver should not be politicised https://euobserver.com/opinion/134917

Balkan Insight, 05.09.16: Border Deal Failure Has 'Damaged' Faith in Kosovo http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-anxious-over-visa-free-regime-after-border-deal-failure-09-02-2016

EUObserver, 06.09.16: MEPs back visa-free travel for Georgians https://euobserver.com/migration/134927

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