EC Vice-President Jacques Barrot and EU Enlargement Commissionner Olli Rehn have announced the Commission's recommendation to lift the visa requirement for Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia (without Kosovo) by 1 January 2010 in Brussels on Wednesday 15 July. The first countries covered by the visa lifting will be Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, while Albania and Bosnia should follow later in 2010, provided they meet certain requirements, which include adequate border monitoring, introduction of biometric passports and steps against crime and corruption.

VIDEOS DESCRIPTION:

(1) Extracts from press conference Olli Rehn/ Jacques Barrot on visa liberalisation. Transcript

(2) Interview with Alexandra Stiglmayer, Senior researcher anf co-founder of the European Stability Initiative, on the visa agenda until the end of the year, the situations of Bosnia and Albania and the peculiars of the Kosovo situation. (In English)

(3) Interview with Peter Matjasic, Secretary-General of the Young European Federalists, JEF Europe,  following JEF's open letter to the European Commission to alert on the situation of Bosnia left out of the White list. (In Bosnian)

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