EU to close borders with Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro

Slovenia, as the European Union's leading country, has compiled a new list of countries to which the restrictive measures for EU movement should be returned due to worsening the epidemiological situation. According to media reports, Skopje, Podgorica and Pristina are taught they are part of this list.

EU member states will vote in the coming days for approval of the updated list.

In addition to Kosovo and Northern Macedonia, it is taught that the EU has included Montenegro, Israel, the United States and Lebanon on the list of unsafe countries. Albania is taught that it has not been put on this list, as so far, it records lower numbers of infected people than neighbouring countries. Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, and Kosovo report more than 1500 infected every day for a week. The number of victims has also increased.

According to many Balkan media that refer to sources from the EU, from countries that are not on the list of safe “ “countries cannot access the EU, except necessary travel.

Albania was among the last countries in the region to open its borders in early July from the European Union, even though it met all conditions. Due to high levels of infection in union countries, the EU Commission decided that the minimum number of new cases of Covid-19 for third countries' admission to rise to 200. So far, Albania meets this criterion, but it is unclear what will happen in two weeks, when the list is reviewed again.

Our country recorded 844 new cases in the last 24 hours and 4 victims, but the balance is heavier in neighbouring countries that are facing dozens of victims daily. The extent of COVIDD-19 in Albania until next week is 214.9 cases for 100,000 people, but is likely to be higher in the coming weeks, thus violating the main EU criteria.

Kosovo records 560 cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, thus failing to meet the main condition of the union for opening borders, while Montenegro and Northern Macedonia have about 500 cases per 100,000 residents

For the countries of the Western Balkans, the Commission had recommended that external borders be opened by 1 July, at that time reasoning this recommendation with the good epidemiology situation the Commission had concluded that this situation in the Western Balkan countries is “similar or even better than in the EU countries”.

European Commission officials say about “Politico. Eu” that they expect borders more third countries to be closed again in a distant future. Senior EU diplomats said the Commission was already preparing for the introduction of new travel restrictions and was preparing plans for the movement of goods and people flowing within the EU to be done smoothly.

The restrictions also do not apply to residents in European Union countries.

Before the start of the summer season and after improving the epidemiological situation, the EU has lifted travel restrictions for citizens of all Western Balkan countries. By summer vacation, the EU has updated its lists every two weeks, in line with the epidemiology situation in each separate country.

This practice will now continue that European institutions are returning to normal functioning after summer holidays.

In May, the EU has approved the so-called “emergency planet”, under which the ban on travel for citizens of certain countries can be immediately reactivated if the epidemiological situation deteriorates rapidly.

The EU has imposed restrictions on trivial travel for citizens of so-called third countries since March 2020, when even the pandemic of the coronary has erupted.