23/04/24 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 23 April, the European Parliament approved the short-stay visa exemption scheme for Kosovo Serbs by 406 votes to 97, with 94 abstentions. The aim is to exempt Kosovo Serbs holding passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate from visa requirements for stays in the EU of up to 90 days. “This ensures that the entire Western Balkans region has the same visa regime on travel to the EU”, according to a European Parliament press release. “Extending EU visa liberalisation to Serbian residents of Kosovo is important to prevent discrimination against these citizens, who risk being treated differently than other residents of the Western Balkans”, says Slovenian rapporteur Matjaž Nemec (S&D). Link to the text: https://aeur.eu/f/bwz (SP)