Nótaí faisnéise

Statement on the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina

Opening accession negotiations recognizes progress made, but also confers on Bosnia and Herzegovina a critical responsibility for its future trajectory, say leading MEPs.


Following the decision of the European Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal), Standing Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued the following statement:

We welcome the decision by the European Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which recognizes progress made, but also confers on Bosnia and Herzegovina a critical responsibility for its future trajectory. The legitimate European aspirations and expectations of its citizens must be matched by a concrete and unwavering commitment of all stakeholders.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 changed the geostrategic outlook of the European Union and prompted it to reprioritise its enlargement policy and its commitment to the Western Balkan countries and their longstanding ambition to become members of the EU. The decision of the European Council should therefore also be seen in the wider context of the compelling new geopolitical realities. As a significant step on the road from Dayton to Brussels, it will require genuine and sustained political consensus, as well as consistent commitment to EU integration reforms. An enabling environment for civil society must also ensure its meaningful involvement throughout the process.

As a staunch supporter of enlargement, the European Parliament has continuously encouraged Bosnia and Herzegovina in its accession efforts and called for more progress. It has clearly indicated the path to follow and identified the challenges - and challengers - on the road towards success. Since obtaining candidate country status in December 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina resumed political decision-making and worked on much-needed key reforms, thus reaffirming its commitment to its EU integration path, including in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy. Last week's decision of the European Council is further proof of the determination of the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina to jointly pursue the objective of EU membership.

There is still much work ahead, and we expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to work diligently on all outstanding key priorities and steps, notably in the field of democracy, rule of law and the protection of human rights. Accession to the EU must remain a merit-based process, firmly anchored in the Copenhagen criteria. Key reforms cannot be delayed or subject to blockages and political games. Any divisive, inflammatory or secessionist rhetoric and action will damage and endanger the country's EU integration process.

We call on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to prioritise and accelerate work on the fulfilment of the outstanding key priorities, as well as all relevant steps set out in the Commission's recommendation of 12 October 2022. As stipulated in the European Council's conclusions, the completion of work on the steps is a prerequisite for the adoption of the negotiating framework.

For further information, please contact:

Office of Mr Romeo Franz, tel. +32 2 284 50 60, e-mail: romeo.franz@europarl.europa.eu

Office of Mr Paulo Rangel, tel. +32 2 284 52 63, e-mail: paulo.rangel@europarl.europa.eu

Joint statement by Co-Chair Snježana Novaković-Bursać (Parliamentary Assembly of BiH) and Acting Co-Chair Željana Zovko (European Parliament)

14 March 2024

Following the fourth meeting of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee on 13 and 14 March 2024 Co-Chair Snježana Novaković-Bursać (Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Acting Co-Chair Željana Zovko (European Parliament) stated:

When we reconvened in Sarajevo last October after a long period without meetings, we agreed that we would not allow that to happen again. As a sign of our determination not to lose the regained momentum in our inter-parliamentary relations and to breathe new life into the parliamentary dimension of Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU integration process, we agreed to meet again in Strasbourg before the 2024 European elections. Our open and frank discussions proved once again that direct face-to-face contact is essential if we are to develop a trust-based relationship. There are many takeaways from this meeting for both Delegations.

In its 2023 communication on EU enlargement policy, the Commission recommended the opening of EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina 'once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved'. We recognise the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina, which led the Commission to recommend the opening of accession negotiations without further conditions. We encourage BIH Parliament to adopt electoral law in conformity with judgments of local and international court decisions. While we welcome that in the November 2023 country report key priority number 3 has been marked as completed as a direct result of our successful meeting in Sarajevo, we acknowledge that much more work needs to be done to fulfill many other key priorities and steps, notably in key areas such as democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights of all citizens. Accession to the EU shall remain a merit-based process firmly anchored in the Copenhagen criteria.The European Parliament stands ready to support BiH and its citizens in its path towards EU membership in full respect of the coordination mechanism for the EU integration process as agreed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We look forward to the resumption of regular EU-BiH SAPC meetings as soon as possible after the European elections.

Statement on the ‘Day of Republika Srpska’ celebrations, 15 January 2024

Following the recent unconstitutional 'Day of Republika Srpska' festivities Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal), Standing Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued the following statement:

Last year we unreservedly condemned the celebration of 'Republika Srpska Day' on 9 January in utter defiance of several rulings of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Constitutional Court, which declared the self-proclaimed holiday and the 2016 referendum unconstitutional. The right of the Republika Srpska entity to have its holiday is not called into question. The problem is the choice of the date, which violates Constitutional Court rulings and several provisions of the BiH Constitution prohibiting discrimination. Ignoring these rulings constitutes a criminal offence, undermines the Dayton Peace Agreement and is a setback for Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress on the 14 Key Priorities and its EU integration. Instead of dividing and provoking, authorities and political actors across the country should focus on delivering the concrete reforms that are needed to open accession negotiations, following the granting of EU candidate country status.

A few days ago 'Republika Srpska Day' was once again celebrated in blatant defiance of the Court's rulings, EU positions and unambiguous statements of High Representative Christian Schmidt. We express again our full support to the High Representative and call on the relevant authorities and the international community to act decisively, in line with the High Representative's statement in the aftermath of last year's 'Republika Srpska Day' that 'it should be clear that 9 January 2024 will not happen in this framework and manner'.

Regrettably, what we saw over the last days was 'more of the same'. 9 January and the days before were marked by ugly incidents of fearmongering and intimidation of citizens and returnees in Vlasenica and Srebrenica, the vocal glorification of convicted war criminals and the use of hate speech. Once again, Serbia was represented by a high-level delegation in which several ministers, including Minister of Defence and SNS leader Miloš Vučević, took part. Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik stood side by side with the outgoing Speaker of the Serbian parliament and the Russian Ambassador to BiH. Parliament has denounced the presence of high-ranking Serbian government officials on the occasion of the unconstitutional 'RS Day' in its resolution of 12 July 2023. We also regret that some Montenegrin officials, including Members of Parliament, attended this year's RS Day events. Representatives of candidate countries who invariably claim that EU integration and future EU membership are their top priority should act accordingly. In this regard, we welcome the principled stance of Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović, who declined the invitation and explained why.

We note with utmost concern that this year's highest decoration of Republika Srpska was awarded to - and accepted by - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. By accepting this decoration the Hungarian PM joins the likes of Vladimir Putin, last year's recipient of the same decoration, and all others who show contempt for the constitutional and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Last year we rang the alarm bell, arguing that several red lines had been crossed. Since then the situation has deteriorated and is becoming increasingly untenable. It is now imperative that the international community finally moves from strongly worded statements to effective, bold action. In its resolution of 12 July 2023 Parliament 'reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against destabilising political actors in BiH, including those threatening and undermining its sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order, notably Milorad Dodik, as well as other high-ranking RS officials and third-country officials providing political and material support for secessionist policies'.

Joint statement by Co-Chairs Snježana Novaković-Bursać (Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Romeo Franz (European Parliament)

31 October 2023

Following the third meeting of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee on 30 and 31 October 2023 Co-Chairs Snježana Novaković-Bursać (Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Romeo Franz (European Parliament) stated:

We just successfully concluded the third meeting of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, almost eight years after its first meeting here in Sarajevo in November 2015. We had intensive, frank and fruitful discussions on EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina relations and the state of fulfilment of the 14 priorities as set out in the Commission opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina's application for membership of the European Union. It was very important for our two Delegations to be able to interact directly on a range of issues, both in formal and informal settings. Last week many Members of the Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are also Members of the Joint Committee on European Integration also had the opportunity to participate in several meetings in the European Parliament in Brussels.

This first full-fledged meeting of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee following the adoption of its Rules of Procedure in June 2021 comes at a crucial moment. Next week, the European Commission will publish its 2023 enlargement package with a series of country reports that will for the first time include reports on Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. In the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are hopeful that our work of the past days will lead the European Commission to conclude that key priority number 3 is fulfilled. We are determined not to lose the regained momentum in our inter-parliamentary relations and to breathe new life into the parliamentary dimension of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Agreement. We have therefore already agreed to hold the fourth meeting of our Committee in March 2024 in Strasbourg.

In December 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted candidate country status, a decision that was based on new geopolitical realities rather than on tangible progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina on its EU path. We acknowledge the limited progress of the previous months towards attaining the objectives outlined in the European Commission's Opinion and recognise the need for unwavering commitment and a mature focus of all decision makers on the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on political consensus. A possible decision in December this year to open accession negotiations would certainly further encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina to work diligently towards the actual opening of the first chapters. It would also be additional proof of the EU's resolve to prioritise enlargement on the understanding that the EU integration trajectory of individual countries remains a challenging and merit-based enterprise. We understand that the decision to start accession negotiations will depend on tangible and concrete progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina one year after obtaining candidate country status, in line with the European Commission's opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina's application for membership of the European Union.


Leading MEPs urge the EU to “finally impose” sanctions on Milorad Dodik

"We can no longer allow a brazen secessionist and his followers... to systematically undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina", say MEPs in a joint statement.

On 5 July 2023 European Parliament's Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister (EPP, Germany), Standing Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal) and the Chair of the Parliament's Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo Romeo Franz (Greens, Germany) issued the following statement:

"We strongly condemn the National Assembly of Republika Srpska's adoption of legislation on the non-implementation of decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and amending the Republika Srpska Law on publishing laws and other regulations, which constituted a direct attack on Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional order and a blatant violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. We therefore welcome the decision of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina on 1 July to revoke these laws, as well as the changes to the criminal code of Bosnia and Herzegovina that give the relevant law enforcement and judicial authorities the tools to properly act on attempts to undermine the constitutional order of the country. We also take note of the High Representative's statement at his press conference on 1 July that 'all options remain on the table'.

However, in light of the utterly provocative reactions of President Dodik and other leading Republika Srpska officials to these decisions, additional action by the European Union is urgently needed. The European Parliament has repeatedly called on the Council to move beyond verbal statements and take specific, targeted action against those who continue to deliberately and systematically undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional and territorial order in words and deeds. It is high time for the EU and its Member States to finally impose targeted sanctions on Milorad Dodik - who is already under US and UK sanctions - and his allies, if necessary on a bilateral level.

The EU's credibility is at stake. Given the gravity of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union cannot just verbally align with the High Representative's decisions. It needs to support him with specific own initiatives.

On 16 December 2022, we welcomed the decision of the European Council to grant the status of candidate country to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a significant one-off incentive that should be swiftly acted on by the authorities. Since then, we have seen the development of a new and positive momentum. Following the last elections, everything is in place for the country's authorities to continue building on this momentum, to work on the 14 key priorities as a matter of urgency and to genuinely progress on its EU integration path. We can no longer allow a brazen secessionist and his followers, including in the entity parliament, to systematically undermine the country and its future within Europe and put at risk peace and stability. We owe it to Bosnia and Herzegovina, its citizens, the region and ourselves."

For further information, please contact:

Office of Mr David McAllister tel. +32 284 51 30, email: david.mcallister@ep.europa.eu

Office of Mr Paulo Rangel tel. +32 284 52 63, e-mail: paulo.rangel@ep.europa.eu

Office of Mr Romeo Franz tel. +32 284 50 60, e-mail: romeo.franz@ep.europa.eu

Joint statement by Co-Chairs (Parliamentary Assembly of Kosovo) 10th Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee meeting, 16 March 2023

Following the 10th Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee Meeting, on 15-16 March 2023 in Strasbourg, Co-Chairs Romeo Franz (European Parliament) and Mimoza Kusari-Lila (Parliamentary Assembly of Kosovo) stated:

"On 15 and 16 March 2023, the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), consisting of multiparty delegations of Members of the European Parliament and of the Assembly of Kosovo, held its 10th meeting in Strasbourg, in presence of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

We had sincere and fruitful exchanges on all agenda items, including geopolitical considerations and our unwavering solidarity with Ukraine, achievements and challenges in the reform process, as well as the EU-facilitated Dialogue, protection of fundamental rights, including minority rights and media freedom.

The SAPC welcomed Kosovo's unwavering commitment to its European path. We reiterated the belief that the EU integration process brings about important transformative power and encourages democratic consolidation, long-term growth, socio-economic cohesion and institutional integrity. We reaffirmed our common belief that the EU is not complete without the Western Balkans, and underlined that a consistent approach to the enlargement process invigorates the European concept and EU's credibility, in contrast to the negative influence by third parties. In this context, the SAPC welcomed Kosovo's application for European Union membership, which proves a clear strategic choice in times of unprecedented geopolitical challenges, and reflects the staunchly pro-EU orientation of citizens and the consensus among political parties.

We welcomed the long-overdue agreement on legislation enabling EU visa liberalisation for citizens of Kosovo at the beginning of 2024 at the latest, which will facilitate travel, cultural and educational exchange as well as business activities.

We are looking forward to the next EU-Kosovo SAPC, which will take place in Pristina in the second half of this year."

Statement on the unconstitutional ‘Day of Republika Srpska’ celebrations, 12 January 2023

Following the recent unlawful 'Day of Republika Srpska' festivities Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal), Standing Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued the following statement:

"On 9 January the Republika Srpska entity leadership once again celebrated the 'Day of Republika Srpska' in defiance of longstanding rulings of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Constitutional Court which declared both the self-proclaimed holiday and the 2016 referendum unconstitutional. Ignoring these rulings constitutes a criminal offence. The 9 January celebratory events were preceded and followed by so-called 'ceremonial academies' in Banja Luka and the Brčko District on 8 and 10 January. We consider the choice of East Sarajevo as the venue for this year's 9 January celebrations as an additional and particularly cynical provocative act. We also unreservedly condemn the attendance of these unlawful events by several Serbian ministers, the Speaker of the Serbian parliament and - for the first time - two ministers of Montenegro's technical government.

We have repeatedly highlighted that there is no place in Europe for the denial of genocide and the glorification of convicted war criminals, which are incompatible with the notions of truth, justice and dignity for victims and survivors. They thwart any attempts at reconciliation and risk perpetuating dangerous divisions within the country.

Against the background of Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine the awarding of Republika Srpska's highest distinction to Vladimir Putin on the occasion of this year's 'Day of Republika Srpska' speaks volumes about the 'sense of belonging' of the leadership of Republika Srpska and its contempt for core European values. So does the participation of the Nightwolves in the 9 January parade. This Russia-based and Kremlin-sponsored nationalist motorcycle club was added to the EU list of sanctioned entities in July 2022 and its leaders are banned from entering Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Several red lines have been crossed, and it is high time for the international community to move beyond strong verbal statements and take specific, targeted action against those who continue to deliberately and systematically undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional and territorial order in words and deeds. Through his statements and actions Milorad Dodik has de facto disavowed the 12 June 2022 political agreement that he subscribed to. We reiterate the European Parliament's call in its resolution of 6 July 2022 on the EU, its Member States and the international community 'to follow the example set by the United States and the United Kingdom and use all available tools, namely targeted sanctions and the suspension of funds, against destabilising actors in the country, including those threatening the territorial order of BiH, notably Milorad Dodik' and urge swift, tangible and credible punitive action."

Statement on the European Council’s decision to grant the status of candidate country to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 16 December 2022

Following yesterday's meeting of the European Council Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal), Standing Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued the following statement:

"We welcome the decision of the European Council to grant the status of candidate country to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the granting of candidate country status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in June 2022 have triggered calls to accelerate the EU integration process of the Western Balkans. In the current geopolitical context yesterday's decision should be seen as a 'renewal of vows' by the European Union and an important message to the country and to third actors that Bosnia and Herzegovina's future is unequivocally within the EU.

Against the background of insufficient progress achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina's political actors, this decision is a clear sign of the EU's commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina's citizens. It is also a significant one-off incentive that should be swiftly acted on by Bosnia and Herzegovina's authorities. Tangible delivery on the 14 key priorities and the eight requirements identified in the Commission's recommendation of October 2022 to the benefit of all citizens is urgently needed. The only way forward for Bosnia and Herzegovina is that its politicians move beyond narrow political party interests and divisive politics and genuinely work towards consensus-driven, inclusive EU integration reforms.

Regular inter-parliamentary meetings between the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina are firmly anchored in the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. As soon as the new Bosnia and Herzegovina Delegation to the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) is constituted, we count on our counterparts to proactively reach out with a view to holding the 3rd EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina SAPC meeting in Sarajevo, thus making concrete progress on key priority number three."

Statement by D-SEE Chair Romeo Franz, following his meeting with Mr Šefik Džaferović, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brussels, 11 November 2021

My meeting today in the European Parliament with the Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Šefik Džaferović, was a very important one.

We agree that the state integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina is untouchable.

I strongly condemn the divisive actions of Republika Srpska's Milorad Dodik and call on him to stop his blockades and secessionist activities with the aim of destabilizing and ultimately tearing apart the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I urge him to respect the Dayton Agreement and thus the state-level competencies in the areas of justice, army, taxes, telecommunications and border police, to name a few.

Dodik's actions threaten not only Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the entire Western Balkans and also the European Union. They lead to conflict and worse: they risk spiralling out of control, which could lead to a near-war situation. This cannot be in the interest of the EU and its institutions: we need stability and respect for the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The other signatories of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Serbia and Croatia, must also adhere to what they signed. It is obvious that certain political forces in EU Member State Croatia, too, have a potentially destabilising agenda in relation to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is absolutely unacceptable.

The one stoking the fire is once again President Putin, who tries to destabilize the EU every way he can, using his leverage with President Lukashenko in Belarus, with President Vučić in Serbia and even with some EU Member States.

The EU must resolutely oppose all these attacks. What is at stake here is peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire Western Balkans and ultimately the stability and prosperous future of the European Union.

We must therefore act, and act now!

Kosovo and Serbia: leading MEPs call for continued dialogue to reduce tensions

28 September 2021

In light of the deeply worrying developments in recent days on the Kosovo-Serbia border, leading MEPs issued this statement.

"We are deeply concerned about the recent tensions at the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings. Serbia and Kosovo must urgently find a peaceful and sustainable solution in order to ensure the security and safety of all citizens.

We wish to see the withdrawal of special police and any army units and the dismantling of roadblocks. Unilateral actions and provocations and inflammatory rhetoric, which increase tensions and affect the wellbeing of local communities, should stop. We call on the EU and its partners to continue to work on de-escalating the crisis and we urge the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to use the platform of the EU-facilitated Dialogue to resolve all open issues, including those related to freedom of movement.

We reiterate that the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a precondition for the EU accession of both countries, and is also essential for securing stability and prosperity in the wider region. We urge both sides to actively and constructively re-engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue led by the EU Special Representative, seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and legally binding agreement."

Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Standing Rapporteur for Serbia

Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL (Greens/EFA, DE), Standing Rapporteur for Kosovo

Tanja FAJON (S&D, SL), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee

Romeo FRANZ (Greens/EFA, DE), Chair of the Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo

Kosovo: Statement on Kosovo’s application for membership in the European Union, 15 December 2022

Statement by Romeo Franz, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, Standing Rapporteur for Kosovo, on Kosovo's application for membership in the European Union

Following Kosovo's submission of its membership application, Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA, Germany), Standing Rapporteur for Kosovo, issued the following statement:

"Today marks a milestone in EU-Kosovo relations. Kosovo's application for European Union membership does not only reflect the staunchly pro-European orientation of Kosovars and the consensus among political parties. It is also a clear strategic choice in these times of unprecedented geopolitical challenges.

We commend Kosovo's ongoing alignment with the EU's foreign and security policy, first and foremost through the adoption of sanctions following the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Its strong solidarity with the people of Ukraine positions Kosovo as a reliable partner, already deeply anchored in the European and transatlantic alliance. We therefore reiterate the European Parliament's call on the Member States that have not yet recognised Kosovo as a sovereign state to do so and thus allow it to progress on its European path on an equal footing with the other Western Balkan countries. We believe Kosovo will make additional efforts to address the manifold challenges on its European path, and in that respect expect this symbolic act of membership application to be followed by concrete and meaningful actions. One crucial element for achieving progress on the EU integration path is comprehensive normalisation of relations and successful completion of the EU-led Pristina-Belgrade Dialogue, including the serious commitment to deliver on all past agreements.

We call on the Council to mandate the European Commission to prepare an opinion on the merits of the country's application without delay."

Statement following the Council’s decision regarding the visa-free regime for citizens of Kosovo, 30 November 2022

Statement by Romeo Franz, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, European Parliament's Rapporteur for Kosovo, following the Council's decision regarding the visa-free regime for citizens of Kosovo

Romeo Franz and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel welcome the adoption of the Council's negotiating mandate by EU Member States' ambassadors, as a crucial step towards enabling visa-free travel for citizens of Kosovo.

Following the agreement reached in the Council, Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA, Germany), European Parliament's Rapporteur for Kosovo, issued the following statement on Wednesday:

"We warmly welcome the long-overdue decision of the EU member states' ambassadors who agreed today the Council's negotiating mandate on a regulation on visa free travel for holders of passports issued by Kosovo. While we are happy that compromise has been found in the Council, we deeply regret that it comes very late, as Kosovo had fulfilled all the required benchmarks more than four years ago. The recent linkage of the visa liberalisation issue to the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System has only exacerbated frustrations.

It is important to underline that today's decision resonates the unequivocal and longstanding position of the European Parliament in favour of visa liberalisation for Kosovo, which has also been mirrored in the Recommendations of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, most recently the ones adopted unanimously in Pristina in early November.

Citizens of Kosovo deserve visa liberalisation. Young Kosovars in particular should enjoy the same opportunities to travel that are available to other young Europeans, including their peers in the Western Balkans. Visas are costly, and the procedure is often time-consuming and unpredictable. We are therefore confident that the negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament, as co-legislators, will be swift and lead to adoption as soon as possible."