Kosovo, visa liberalization: Hahn welcomes the LIBE recommendation

The Commissioner for Enlargement of the European Union, Johannes Hahn, has expressed himself again on the issue of visa liberalization for Kosovo.

Specifically, Hahn commented on the position of the European LIBE committee (Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament) which recommended starting negotiations with the European Council on visa liberalization.

With a post on Twitter, the EU enlargement commissioner stated that he had welcomed the position taken by the committee, which is a continuation of the European Commission's position.

"I welcome the position taken by the committee which represents a continuation of the position of the European Commission for the start of negotiations with the European council for visa liberalization." - reads Hahn's tweet.

The 49 members of LIBE voted in favor of starting talks with the European council, whose approval is the last step to be taken so that the citizens of Kosovo can travel without visa requirements to the countries of the Schengen area.

Last year the ok of the European parliament

In September, 2018, with 420 votes in favor, the European parliament expressed its support for visa liberalization for Kosovo. The rapporteur for Kosovo, Tanja Fajon, expressed herself on the vote of the parliament:

"The citizens of Kosovo are getting closer to being able to move without visas to Europe. I am happy to have received the ok from the majority of the European parliament in order to be able to negotiate visa liberalization for Kosovo with the European Council. The issue, therefore, will continue with the governments of the member states of the European Union, and we will not stop until we have reached our goal." - He said Tanja Fajon.

All necessary procedures at institutions in the European Union should have lasted about six months; however, the electoral period that characterized the EU institutions in the first half of this year further dragged the issue over time.