The EC writes to EU countries: Kosovo has met all criteria for visa liberalisation

Free Europe Radio has had access to this document, which will also be a basis for discussion in the Council visa processing group on 13 October in Brussels. He has been sent as a update of data to inform EU member states and is not a formal report on the implementation of guides, since such a report had been made earlier and there is no need for another.

In this document, sent as non-paper, detail mentions examples that testify that Kosovo even after 2018, when the Commission had confirmed meeting the criteria, has continued to make progress in all areas involved in the visa guide.

Kosovo has established a powerful legal and operational framework to fight corruption, organised crime and face security risks and those from migration. This was confirmed even through annual reports of the Commission under the” enlargement package, the signing of the document sent to member states says.

The same document confirms that Kosovo has continued to consolidate progress in key areas identified in the visa liberalisation guide.

“As a result, the basis for the Commission's recommendation from 2018 to exclude Kosovo's citizens from visa requirements for short stays remains completely valid”, concluded at the end of this report.

According to European Commission experts, Kosovo in recent years has strengthened the legal and institutional framework in areas such as document security, border management and migration, public order and security, fundamental rights related to freedom of movement, approaching them with EU standards.

The report confirms that Kosovo's Interior Ministry has secured that all travel documents, passports, are biometric and are in line with international and European Union standards.

Kosovo, according to this report, has adapted even more legislation to the EU in the area of co-ordinated border management. He has also made significant progress in the functioning of the judicial system, including efficiency, professionalism, responsibility, and integrity.

Kosovo has achieved progress in investigating and condemning organised crime cases.
Similarly, Kosovo has met the conditions for repatriating its citizens, who have sought asylum in the EU and have made the decision to leave.

The European Commission finds positive trends even in the number of rejection of visa giving for Kosovo citizens from EU countries, as well as the decline in the number of false asylum seekers.

All these data that are mentioned in the document the European Commission has sent will serve the EU Council, which on 13 October launches the procedure aimed at finalising the visa liberalisation decision for Kosovo.