The Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama emphasised on Thursday 10 June how important it was to establish a common area of free movement in the Western Balkans – a mini-Schengen.
“We have been from the beginning, and still remain, firmly convinced that the regional Schengen project is a strategic project with enormous economic, social and political benefits for our whole region”, said Rama after a summit of Balkan leaders in Tirana.
He noted that the process was based on a financial package of €9 billion under the framework of the EU economic and investment plan that was presented last autumn (see EUROPE 12575/10).
Explaining that a year ago the Western Balkans had agreed to establish a common market, the Commissioner hoped that this would take shape at the Berlin Process summit that is scheduled for 5 July. “The Commission’s plan will deliver, as long as the region can deliver on the regional common market”, he warned. “The plan will never work if the region does not work as one and if the market does not exist”, insisted Várhelyi.
While welcoming the end of travelling charges in the region, he said there was still much to be done and cited the possibility of travelling with a simple ID card, mutual recognition of diplomas and online trade.
In addition, the Albanian Prime Minister announced that all Western Balkan countries have submitted a request to the EU to have their citizens’ digital green certificates on health security recognised in the EU. Mr Várhelyi recalled that the decision was up to EU Member States and that it should not be seen as a diplomatic or political issue, but instead as a health issue. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)