Procedures to Follow Kosovo for Visa Liberalisation

The European Parliament for Civil Freedom, Justice and Home Affairs Committee has approved Tanja Fajon's report to proceed further in the process of lifting visas for Kosovo citizens.

Before being voted, rapporteur Fajon has exploited the right to speak, demanding a positive vote, since, according to her, Kosovo has met all the required criteria, which could be said to have been higher in this case than in any other case. But this positive vote on the LIBE Committee presents only one of the steps towards bringing down visas for Kosovars.

After announcing the completion of all conditions for Kosovo by the European Commission, during the July-September months the European Union Council is expected to discuss the Council's negotiating position report.

Discussions are expected to take place in working groups for the Balkans and Internal Affairs.

In parallel with the procedure in the European Parliament, discussions on the Council can also begin to receive the mandate for trialog.
The agenda made the current EU presidency. At this point, member states can request additional information from the European Commission, which should protect the proposal for visa liberalisation on the basis of arguments given during the process.

After that, the European Union Council is expected to approve the Council's negotiating position.

This act is voted at the ambassadorial level and needs the qualified majority of 55 %.
Later, according to this document, the discussion is expected to be held between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, where they must agree to the final vote.

The trialog invites the European Parliament, but all three institutions mentioned must be present.

After this discussion, if the three institutions agree, it is expected that early in October there will be voting at the plenary session of the European Parliament.

After voting in the European Parliament, which should be a simple majority, voting should be held on the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU Member States in Brussels (COREPER), which is scheduled to take place in October or November.
Just a week after the vote by this Committee, the decision on visa liberalisation for Kosovars is expected to be voted again by the EU Council, but now at the level of interior ministers, which is also the final vote.

If from here, this process gets green light, during November, December, all that remains is the signing and publishing of the decision in the Official Journal and entry into force.

If the Brussels dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia ends in December, then the EU will pledge visa liberalisation in a deadline, which could be January 2019.

If that is the case, so dialogue ends with mutually agreed agreement, then the European Parliament is expected to vote on the issue later in February, when it holds its last meeting, ahead of new elections for EU institutions.

But, if something doesn't go according to plan, then the maximum deadline for free movement without visas will be July 1st, though in question.

This is as elections for the European Parliament are held in May, as the institution's new establishment takes place in the autumn, meaning delay for liberalisation for Kosovo, but also indisputing the whole process, as the voting can bring to power in the EU, forces that oppose visa removal.