European Parliament passes visa-free regime for Kosovo Serbs

“The European Parliament has voted to endorse visa-free travel for holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate,” a press release said.

MEPs lent their support to the proposal to allow holders of passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Koordinaciona Uprava) visa-free travel in the European Union for up to 90 days. “This ensures that the entire Western Balkans region has the same visa regime on travel to the EU,” it said.

The press release quoted rapporteur Matjaz Nemec as saying that the visa-free regime for Kosovo Serbs is important in preventing discimination. He recalled that the Kosovo Serbs “remain the only category of residents of the Western Balkans who still require a visa to travel to the Schengen area”. “This technical decision is not an attempt to resolve the dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, but a pragmatic solution to ensure equal treatment,” he added.

The European Commission proposal was adopted by the European Parliament without amendments and will take effect once the EU Council adopts it, 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal.