First report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism

Background:

Visa liberalisation is one of the Union's most powerful tools in facilitating people-to-people contacts and strengthening ties between the citizens of third countries and the Union. This Report follows up on the Commission's duty to monitor the continuous fulfilment of visa liberalisation requirements by third countries and to report on those matters to the European Parliament and the Council, at least once a year in accordance with Article 1a (2b) of Regulation (EC) No 539/2001.

The assessment of the visa liberalisation benchmarks applies to countries which have successfully concluded visa liberalisation dialogues according to relevant action plans and roadmaps, i.e. Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries. The Report focuses on specific areas identified for each country where further monitoring and actions are considered necessary in order to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the progress achieved in the framework of the visa liberalisation process. Therefore, benchmarks and commitments with a stable implementation record are not being covered in this report.

The Commission reports in detail on the broader situation in the area of home affairs and justice, also relevant for the implementation of visa liberalisation commitments, in the framework of Enlargement package for the Western Balkans countries and for the Eastern Partnership countries in the framework of the implementation of the respective Association Agreements. The assessment period for this Report starts with the adoption date of the last relevant reports: i.e. for the Western Balkan countries with the Fifth report on the post-visa liberalisation monitoring adopted in February 2015 and for the Eastern Partnership countries with the Final visa liberalisation progress reports adopted respectively for the Republic of Moldova in December 2013, Ukraine and Georgia in December 2015.

The Commission on 20 December 2017 reported on the continuous fulfilment of the visa liberalisation benchmarks by the Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) as well as the Eastern Partnership countries (Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). The report shows that, whilst the visa liberalisation requirements for the countries concerned continue to be fulfilled, action is required in a number of specific areas to preserve their sustainable implementation. The report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document, which provides more detailed background information on the developments identified for specific areas.

European Commission: Press Release, 20.12.17: Visa liberalisation: Commission reports on implementation of benchmarks for Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-5313_en.htm

EUR-Lex: SWD(2017)480: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2017:480:FIN

---