Several hundred citizens from the Western Balkans have signed a petition urging the governments of the Western Balkans’ countries and the European Union (EU) Member State leaders to act swiftly in abolishing the visa regimes and establishing the freedom of movement for all Western Balkan citizens travelling within the region and throughout the Schengen Area. The petition was launched days ahead of the upcoming EU-Western Balkans Summit to be held on 6 October in Slovenia.

Astrit Istrefi, the Executive Director of The Balkan Forum, a regional organization which launched the petition said it has been due time for the EU to deliver on its promise and to grant visa liberalization to Kosovo citizens latest by the end of this year.

“In July 2018, the European Commission confirmed that Kosovo meets all the required benchmarks for visa liberalization. More than three years later, Kosovars are the only citizens in the Western Balkans who still need a visa to travel to the Schengen zone. By not delivering on its promises, the credibility of the EU is at stake”, he said.

Regional agreement to travel with ID cards

His colleague Samir Beharić stressed the existing barriers to freedom of movement within the region and throughout the Schengen Area have been breaking family ties, preventing regional cooperation, and obstructing student and academic mobility.

“In our petition, we demand from the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia to remove any barriers to freedom of movement of people between the three countries. Due to the rigid visa regime between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, the citizens of these two countries still have to apply for visa to go across the border regardless of the purpose, including for family visits, student exchange programs, or tourism. The upcoming EU-Western Balkans Summit in Slovenia will be a good opportunity for the Western Balkans leaders to commit to regional cooperation and sign the agreement for travel with ID cards throughout the region”, Beharić said.

This petition is a follow-up to the request signed by 78 prominent individuals and organizations from the Western Balkans and the EU, including Goran Svilanović, Hannes Swoboda, Erhard Busek, Ulrike Lunachek, Florian Bieber, Xhabir Deralla, and others. Signatures of this petition will be sent to the European Commission, EU Council, European Parliament, and the Western Balkans leaders.