mr president as announced yesterday in the debate a political joint declaration of the european parliament and the council has been agreed as a commitment of the two institutions endorsed by the commission to proceed to the completion of the process for bosnia and albania as soon as possible
i would now like to read the text of the declaration
the european union strongly supports the goal of the abolition of the visa regime for all the countries of the western balkans
the european parliament and the council recognise that the former yugoslav republic of macedonia montenegro and serbia fulfil all conditions for visa liberalisation
this has allowed for the adoption of the amendments to regulation ec no five hundred and thirty-nine two thousand and one in due time to allow these three countries to join the visa-free regime by nineteen december two thousand and nine
the european parliament and the council express the hope that albania and bosnia and herzegovina will also qualify for visa liberalisation soon
to that end the european parliament and the council urge those two countries to make all efforts to comply with all the benchmarks set in the commission's road map
the european parliament and the council invite the commission to present a legislative proposal for amending regulation ec no five hundred and thirty-nine two thousand and one as soon as it has assessed that each country meets the benchmarks of the road maps with a view to achieving visa liberalisation for citizens of these countries as soon as possible
the european parliament and the council will examine a proposal for amending the regulation concerning albania and bosnia and herzegovina as a matter of urgency
