Two scenarios towards visa liberalisation

The European Commission, in July of this year, has given positive recommendation for visa liberalisation for Kosovo.

European integration analyst Taulant Kryeziu, in a conversation for Radio Free Europe, says the most positive scenario on the issue of visa liberalisation would be to have decision-making in European Union institutions by 2018 and then free movement in mid-2019.

“In the sense of deadlines, European Parliament sessions are held from September to December. Both of the Council, the last meeting is in December. So, as a positive scenario, it would be to have decision - making by 2018 and then free movement to take place by the middle of 2019”, Kryeziu says.

But, however, the issue of visa liberalisation for Kosovo, Kryeziu adds, will have to end before the European Parliament elections held in May. On the contrary, according to him, other scenarios are discouraging.

“If this political class continues to stir up the justice system, then there will be no European prospects for this country and negative scenarios, to delay the election decision-making process (in the European Parliament), they are discouraging scenarios that I would not want in any way to see happen for the sake of this leadership, which is failing to understand that without independent justice system, without rule of law cannot be moved before”, Kryeziu points out.

According to Kryeziu, political interference and pressures on the justice system harm not only visa liberalisation but also all European prospects.

“We are not producing positive results to convince Paris, Berlin or Brussels. We daily give examples and evidence of how the law is not implemented, how we do not have creditable and independent institutions, how the justice system is affected by politics. We should have a system of professional justice, creditable, transparent and with people of integrity”, Kryeziu says.

Meanwhile, the European Union Committee for Civil Freedoms, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) is expected on Wednesday, 29 August and 30 August to discuss the issue of visa liberalisation for Kosovo.

Minister of European Integration in the Government of Kosovo, Gift Hoxha, has indicated that she will travel to Brussels, where she has warned she will hold meetings with EU officials about completing the visa liberalisation process.

Hoxha said after the International Council for European Integration meeting that she expects support from the LIBE Committee to pass the visa liberalisation issue in the European Parliament.

“Tomorrow (August 29th) is the discussion, while the vote is tomorrow (August 30th) we expect no surprise. I've had separate meetings with each of the members of the LIBE Committee in Brussels all have pledged their vote is not a unanimous vote is a majority vote on the LIBE committee, and I can say that we have the lead. We have worked hard with deputies who come from various political groups who then reflect the situation even in the European Parliament”, Hoxha says.

On the LIBE Committee, Hoxha underlined there have also been deputies from states that have not recognised Kosovo's independence, but support the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo.

Following positive recommendation from the European Commission, the discussion on the LIBE Committee presents the launch of the final phase of the eventual conclusion of the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo, then addressing the issue in the European Parliament.