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Serbia to adopt all laws necessary for visa free regime by end-year
Belgrade,
6 October 2007
Head of the Bureau for International Cooperation and EU Integration at the Serbian Ministry of Interior Drazen Maravic said today that Serbian citizens will be able to travel without visa restrictions to EU countries from the first half of 2009.
In an interview for the daily Politika, Maravic said that Serbia will be in the position to seek inclusion in the White Schengen List with full legitimacy by the end of 2008, since by the end of the year Serbia will adopt all laws necessary for a visa free regime, which are the laws on asylum, foreigners and border control.
He explained that during the upcoming year the European Commission will monitor the implementation of these regulations and of the agreements on visa relaxation and readmission, as well as the situation in Serbia regarding the fight against corruption and organised crime.
Regarding the three laws mentioned without which a visa free regime cannot be established, Maravic said that the law on asylum will be forwarded to the government by the end of this or the next week, the law on border control by next week or within fifteen days, and the law on foreigners by the end of the month.
According to Maravic, by the end of October these laws should successively be forwarded to the government and presented in Serbian parliament for adoption.
Speaking on novelties in the law, he said that there will be a complete set of regulations for border control and security.
Serbia is at the moment on the outer borders of the EU, towards Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, and will become an important factor depending to the degree in which it will secure European borders, said Maravic.
He said that the law on asylum provides refuge to people who have a right to it according to international regulations and standards, regarding which the UNHCR has implemented part of the procedure, and after the adoption of this law Serbia will fully be in charge of all procedures.
Commenting on the recently signed agreements on visa relaxations and readmission, according to which Serbia is obliged to accept its own citizens staying illegally in Europe as well as citizens of other countries who entered EU territory through Serbia, Maravic said that every country has the sovereign right to regulate the position of its citizens regardless of where they are.
He stressed that it is also important to adopt laws on classification of confidential data so that operative cooperation with Europol could be established.
He explained that during the upcoming year the European Commission will monitor the implementation of these regulations and of the agreements on visa relaxation and readmission, as well as the situation in Serbia regarding the fight against corruption and organised crime.
Regarding the three laws mentioned without which a visa free regime cannot be established, Maravic said that the law on asylum will be forwarded to the government by the end of this or the next week, the law on border control by next week or within fifteen days, and the law on foreigners by the end of the month.
According to Maravic, by the end of October these laws should successively be forwarded to the government and presented in Serbian parliament for adoption.
Speaking on novelties in the law, he said that there will be a complete set of regulations for border control and security.
Serbia is at the moment on the outer borders of the EU, towards Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, and will become an important factor depending to the degree in which it will secure European borders, said Maravic.
He said that the law on asylum provides refuge to people who have a right to it according to international regulations and standards, regarding which the UNHCR has implemented part of the procedure, and after the adoption of this law Serbia will fully be in charge of all procedures.
Commenting on the recently signed agreements on visa relaxations and readmission, according to which Serbia is obliged to accept its own citizens staying illegally in Europe as well as citizens of other countries who entered EU territory through Serbia, Maravic said that every country has the sovereign right to regulate the position of its citizens regardless of where they are.
He stressed that it is also important to adopt laws on classification of confidential data so that operative cooperation with Europol could be established.
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