On Wednesday, 21 November 2012, Group for Legal and Political Studies held a Panel Discussion and released a Policy Report on the topic of visa liberalization for Kosovo. The panelists generally agreed that Kosovo’s Government needs to perform more actively in reaching the Visa-Liberalization Benchmarks, as set out in the Visa-Liberalization Roadmap. It was generally asserted that a more active policy response especially in the third block of the Roadmap (Public Security and Fight Against Crime) is necessary from all government branches. The Policy Report presented in the Roundtable provided both a theoretical and policy account of such a process with Kosovo as a case study, offering certain policy recommendations that would increase the institutional capacity and accountability in addressing the four blocks of the Roadmap more efficiently and responsibly. The Policy Report could be downloaded by clicking here.

Panel Discussion:

‘Visa Liberalization Process: Achievements, Challenges and Performance of Kosovo institutions in meeting the Visa-Roadmap Benchmarks’

Key panelists:

Mr. Thomas Gnocchi, Head of Political, Economic and European Integration Section, European Union Office in Kosovo;

Mr. Robert Bosch, Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Kosovo;

Mr. Gëzim Kasapolli, Deputy Minister of Integration;

Mr. Besnik Vasolli, Chair of the National Coordination Unit for Visa-Liberalization Dialogue;

Chair:
Fisnik Korenica, Group for Legal and Political Studies

Date: Wednsday, November 21, 2012

Venue: EU Information and Cultural Center, Prishtina