1. VISA POLICIES IN SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE: A HINDRANCE OR A STEPPING STONE TO EUROPEAN INTEGRATION?
- Author:
- Martin Baldwin-Edwards
- Publication Date:
- 10-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- South Eastern Europe (SEE) has been under great pressure from the European Union (EU) to modernize and improve its border management, while simultaneously trying to facilitate cross-border flows and good neighborly relations in the region. The forthcoming accession to the EU of two countries from the region, Bulgaria and Romania, and recently opened negotiations for the accession of two more, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have the potential to damage both cross-border flows and regional stability. One of the principal factors influencing this potential is the requirement for acceding countries to implement the Schengen regime – in particular, the so-called “black list” of countries whose nationals require visas to enter the Schengen area. At this time, from the Balkan region only Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are not on the “black list”.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Balkans, Romania, Macedonia, and Croatia