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Serbia towards European Union
Crossing the Schengen Wall
 Serbia
and European Union have signed the treaty about easier visa procedure
which means different categories of Serbian citizens will be able to
get permissions for entering Schengen countries in easier, faster and
cheaper way starting from 2008. Bussinesmen, univeristy and high school
students, professors, employees in state institutions, scientists and
experts such as doctors, engineers, lawyers and journalists, activists
of non-governmental and humanitarian organizations... Also persons travelling
for health or family reasons, participants in different sports competitions
and truck drivers in international relations will be able to get visas
without fee (so far it was 35 euros cost) and for a longer period
By MARKO ANDREJIĆ
from Belgrade, SERBIA
The news that citizens of Serbia were waiting for so
long time finally arrived from "the capital of EU" - Brussels
on September 18: Serbia and European Union have signed the treaty about
easier visa procedure which means different categories of Serbian citizens
will be able to get permissions for entering Schengen countries in easier,
faster and cheaper way starting from 2008. Bussinesmen, univeristy and
high school students, professors, employees in state institutions, scientists
and experts such as doctors, engineers, lawyers and journalists, activists
of non-governmental and humanitarian organizations... Also persons travelling
for health or family reasons, participants in different sports competitions
and truck drivers in international relations will be able to get visas
without fee (so far it was 35 euros cost) and for a longer period. Documents
needed for applying in Embassies are cut down for some categories to
only few papers.
This list, much longer than it was the first suggestion, actually means
that two thirds 2/3 of Serbian citizens with valid passports will be
included but it is still only 1/5 of the whole nation, because only
11,7% of Serbians have valid passports, said Tanja Miscevic, Chief Executive
of the Serbian Government Office for associating EU.
"We want to cut down the feeling of isolation for young people
in the region. Especially that generation must have the possibility
to face European and democratic values because they are Europe of tomorrow",
explained Ursula Plasnik, Austrian minister of Foreign Affairs about
easier visa procedure for the citizens of Western Balkan.
Still, liberalisation of visa procedure (=travelling without visas)
is not so close although vicepresident of Serbian government in charge
for European integrations, Bozidar Djelic, thinks it could happen till
the end of 2008. Serbia still has to adopt and create many new procedures
and laws approproate to European standards. The first one is modernization
and better control of borders, new passports and ID cards, unified procedure
of getting visas. Also building better system of azylants protection
and implementing of readmission treaty.
Treaties about visa procedure and readmission with EU were signed also
by ministers of internal affairs of all western Balkan countries, potential
EU members: Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. The final
word about these treaties will be given on November 8 and 9 by ministers
of law and internal affairs of EU, then European parliament will give
its opinion and finally, implementation should start on January 1, 2008.
(Published: 10.10.2007.)
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