What are the new requirements for visa liberalisation?

Also, by 21 October, EU member states have deadlines to submit their written comments concerning visa liberalisation for Kosovo. So have REL diplomatic sources in Brussels said after discussing the processing group held Thursday in Brussels.

From this meeting, according to similar sources, it has been seen that the large majority of member states support the visa liberalisation decision.

But there are still countries whose top concern is France, who want the decision on visa liberalisation, or its entry into force, to link it to several other issues.

These include putting the security system into operation in Europe. E TIAS, Kosovo's adaptation to EU visa policy, increasing border control and continuing repatriation of those who must release EU territory.

ET The IAS is the European system for authorisation and information about travel, but this system is still not functional.

In that system, citizens of states for which visas are liberalised must register their data before travelling to the EU. Then they will receive electronic confirmation and this will be worth three years.

The introduction of this system has been postponed several times for technical causes and is now expected to take effect early next year, but it will become fully operational on November 1st of 2023.

Therefore, France's bid, according to some interpretations of diplomats, could also postpone the entry into force of the visa liberalisation decision for Kosovo until November of next year.

EU diplomatic sources have told Free Europe Radio that a series of states and the European Commission consider the visa liberalisation process unnecessary and unreasonable with the ETIAS system.

These countries and the Commission, according to these sources, have argued that ETIAS is a technical system whose entry into force depends on the EU's own technical readiness.

Some countries are mentioned among them The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Spain have expressed consensus on this French proposal, but many other countries, including Germany, have rejected it.

At this meeting some states have expressed no stance, among them Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia, which have not recognised Kosovo's independence. Greece, which has also not recognised Kosovo, has been strongly and unreserved in favour of visa liberalisation. Spain, meanwhile, has expressed no stance but has indicated that it will agree with the majority's decision.

Some countries that have not expressed their position at this meeting have reasoned on having had elections and are waiting for government formation. They are Sweden and Italy. Denmark, on the other hand, will have elections on November 1st.

Countries that have supported visa liberalisation, according to what have conveyed diplomatic sources, are Germany, Finland, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Poland, Malta, Luxembourg and Slovenia.

Austria has expressed “in favour of continuing the” process, but has said additional technical reports are needed. Cekya, as the next leader, at such meetings has had to take a neutral stand, but in a letter she had sent to member states, was clearly expressed that the time has come for visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens.

The impression of diplomats is that the meeting has proved there is a great majority in favour of visa liberalisation, while now needs to be addressed by the concerns of countries that have expressed reservations and come up with some new requirements.

This is expected to take place even at direct meetings that experts and some of these countries will have with representatives of the Kosovo Interior Ministry.

The Czech presidency of the European Council has said on Thursday it is necessary to clarify even several issues to advance visa liberalisation for Kosovo.

Diplomats say that this was only the beginning, that member states presented only initial positions, and that it should be seen how the discussion will turn out in the future. So, at this moment, they don't want to talk about deadlines or final positions of member states on the Council.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has considered the new conditions -- ideas that were discussed on 13 October in the visa processing group on the European Council, concerning visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens.

“although they claim they're only technical, for us are new conditions”, Bislimi told ATV television in Kosovo.

The European Commission has recommended visa liberalisation for Kosovo in 2018.

On 12 October of this year, this Commission has confirmed in its annual Progress Report that it supports the recommendation made to abolish visas for Kosovo and the agreement that the state has fulfilled all criteria.