Context:
Kosovo has achieved a significant milestone by securing visa-free access to the Schengen zone, the world’s largest free movement area in Europe. This development marks Kosovo as the final western Balkan non-European Union (EU) nation to benefit from the waiver of visa requirements. Under this arrangement, citizens of Kosovo are granted visa-free entry into the Schengen zone for tourism purposes, allowing them to stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
Dimensions of the Article:
- Schengen Area Overview
- Advantages of EU’s Border-Free Policy
- Schengen Admission for EU Members
- Challenges to Schengen Region Stability
- Reasons Behind Kosovo’s Prolonged Application Process
Schengen Area Overview
- Historical Origin: The Schengen Area is named after the Luxembourg village of Schengen, where the agreement was signed in 1985 by five of the six EU founding members (excluding Italy).
- Current Composition: Comprising 27 European countries, this area eliminates official border controls, functioning as a unified jurisdiction with a shared visa policy for international travel.
- Recent Expansions: Croatia joined in 2023, while Romania and Bulgaria, EU members since 2007, are set to gain partial Schengen entry from March 31, 2024.
Advantages of EU’s Border-Free Policy
- Freedom to Travel: Individuals from any country benefit from the ease of travel, holding a single Schengen visa for seamless movement across European nations within the borderless area.
- Symbol of European Integration: For EU member states, the borderless travel, coupled with a common currency adopted by 20 countries, serves as a prominent symbol of European unity.
Schengen Admission for EU Members
- Historical Implementation: When the Schengen agreement began in 1995, only seven of the 15-member EU nations at that time became part of the passport-free area.
- Current Status: Presently, 23 out of the 27 EU states are Schengen members, with exceptions including Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ireland.
- Inclusive Membership: The Schengen area includes 27 countries, encompassing four non-EU members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Norway. Kosovo and other Western Balkan entrants, while recently joining, aren’t among the Schengen 27 members.
Challenges to Schengen Region Stability
- Impact of Eurozone Crisis: Schengen faced significant challenges during the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis of the previous decade, impacting its stability.
- Migration Pressures: The arrival of numerous migrants from conflict zones in Africa and West Asia, coupled with anti-immigrant sentiments fueled by far-right populist parties, posed a strain on the region. This even led to considerations of removing certain Mediterranean-border countries from Schengen.
Reasons Behind Kosovo’s Prolonged Application Process
- European Commission Clearance: In 2018, the European Commission acknowledged Pristina’s readiness to address issues such as illegal migration and corruption, prerequisites for Schengen entry.
- Obstacles to Visa Waiver: Despite meeting the required conditions, Kosovo’s Schengen visa waiver faced prolonged delays due to strong opposition from certain EU members. This opposition primarily stems from the non-recognition of Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence by several EU states, a status not endorsed by the UN, Russia, and China.
-Source: The Hindu
