23/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - A report adopted on Wednesday 23 June by the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee indicates that the “European Parliament would welcome the recognition by all member states of the independence of Kosovo”. Five member states - Spain, Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Slovakia - refuse to recognise Kosovo, which separated off from Serbia and unilaterally declared itself an independent state in February 2008. A report by Austrian Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek, adopted by 45 to 2, calls on Serbia to take a pragmatic line on the question of Kosovo and not prevent it from joining international organisations. Once Kosovo meets all the criteria, the EU should follow a pattern it has established with other Balkan states and ease visa requirements, argue the MEPs, calling on the Kosovan government to speed up reforms, modernise the civil service and clamp down on corruption and organised crime. (H.B./transl.fl)