France's visa ambassador: Final decision-making process, political nature

She has stressed in an interview for Klenkosova.tv that France believes, along with several other European Union member states, that at this stage of this process all conditions required for Kosovo have not yet been met.

Buttel has said lifting the visa regime is certainly a matter of technical criteria, but the final decision-making process is of political nature.

The visa liberalisation of Kosovo's short term is based on the implementation of a guide that includes 95 criteria. In a report published in 2018, the Commission announced that all these criteria had been met and recommended to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union visa liberalisation for Kosovo. The European Parliament has also indicated on several occasions in favour of visa liberalisation”.

The removal of the visa regime is certainly a matter of technical criteria, but the final decision-making process is of political nature. While the European Commission is entitled to ensure that the technical criteria are met, the final decision taken by qualified majority is the responsibility of the European Union Council and only it. Therefore, it is up to the latter to decide once this issue is put on its agenda by the member state leading the presidency of the European Union “.

“Positive developments are marked in Kosovo, as is approval by the Kosovo Parliament in November 2018 of a package of laws aimed at strengthening rule of law. But these laws have not yet produced tangible and lasting effects. It is therefore important that the implementation of reforms by all of Kosovo's state-run device continue and that the adopted laws be fully implemented “.

For this reason France believes, along with several other member states, that at this stage all required conditions have not yet been met. Therefore, we remain very attentive to developing the rule of law, as well as strengthening the fight against corruption and organised crime activities in Kosovo. Meetings held late last year between teams of interior ministries of France and Kosovo have been aimed at intensifying existing co-operation between our countries in these different areas “, Butel has declared.