Freedom to Travel for Kosovo

Once again today, a report (Fajon Report) is being voted on in the European Parliament, concerning visa liberalisation for the citizens of Kosovo.

“For all countries in Southeast Europe that are not yet members of the EU, this visa liberalisation has long been a reality,” states Stefan Haböck, International Officer of the Paneuropa Movement Austria. “Only the citizens of Kosovo are still somehow treated as second-class citizens.”

The EU presented the Republic of Kosovo with an extensive list of criteria to achieve visa liberalisation. The country has met all criteria, the Commission has confirmed their fulfilment, and the security situation has also been reviewed.

The EU member states are now particularly called upon, as some continue to invent new excuses to withhold the promised visa liberalisation.

Even during Austria’s Council Presidency, the Paneuropa Movement Austria expected a concrete implementation of visa liberalisation for Kosovars. “It was promised that if Kosovo met the criteria, visa liberalisation would follow. That promise was not kept. This does not bode well for the credibility of the EU member states,” reminds Rainhard Kloucek, Secretary General of the Paneuropa Movement Austria, referring to the obstructive stance of too many European governments on this issue.

Note: The Paneuropa Movement Austria is the Austrian organisation of the non-partisan Paneuropean Union. Founded in 1922 by Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, it is the oldest European unification movement with 24 organisations in 22 European states.

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