SARAJEVO (AA) – European Parliament member and special rapporteur for the Western Balkans, Slovenian Jelko Kacin, told AA there is no announcement that any of the EU member countries will any time soon reintroduce visa regime for the people from the Balkans.
"There are no announcement something like that will happen. I do not want to speculate. Nobody said that. We have to be responsible and rational,“ Kacin said while being critical about those who are panicking about the possibility of visa regime reintroduction.
Kacin claims that it is unnecessary, irresponsible and counterproductive to "make a drama from all this."
"Now we have mechanism we have to use in order to prevent reintroduction of the visa regime. This is a mechanism that can be used toward the third countries and their citizens entering the EU. In practice it means that no EU country can decide alone over the night, to introduce visa regime, but they will have to go through certain procedure,“ Kacin said.
Decision as adopted by the EP on Thursday allows, Kacin clarified, possibility to reintroduce visa regime for Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia until 2016, and for Bosnia and Albania until 2017.
In the case of Bosnia, this decision can be read as a very serious message to the state institution "not to play with visa liberalization."
Asked if this decision can affect support for EU in Serbia, Kacin said he is doubtful about it.
"However, I will go to Belgrade next week, and if needed, PM Ivica Dacic and I will clarify any possible dilemma."
The EP plenary session on Thursday ended with the adoption of the amendment which allows EU countries to temporarily suspend visa-free travel arrangements with third countries in order "to halt substantial and sudden increases in irregular migrant numbers or unfounded asylum requests, but only as a last resort,“ according to the statement from the Parliament session. The suspension has to be approved by the European Commission, while the Parliament must be notified.
