WRITTEN QUESTION P-1681/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Entry documents for Kosovo.
Date: 2002-06-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, EU visa policy, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, border control, customs formalities, dependent territory, free movement of persons, passport, return migration

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/19

(2003/C 137 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1679/02

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 June 2002)

Subject: Violence in Kisangani

Following the violence in Kisangani on 14 May 2002, UN sources consider it possible that unrest may also
break out in other towns under the control of DRC/Goma. The people are becoming increasingly
dissatisfied that the rebel movement, under pressure from Rwanda, is continuing to reject the political
agreement between President Joseph Kabila and the rebel movement MLC.

The international community is very lenient towards Rwanda, which continues to commit serious human
rights violations in Congo.

the Commission begin to implement

When will
the international community:
the demilitarisation of Kisangani, the reopening of the Congo River, the reunification of the country and
the withdrawal of foreign armies?

the decisions of

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 2002)

Implementation of the decisions of the international community is essentially a matter for the parties
involved in the conflict.

The Commission gives its full support to the United Nations but cannot implement measures such as the
demilitarisation of Kisangani, the reopening of the Congo River or the withdrawal of foreign armies.

the Congo river

traffic during the month of April,
Concerning the reopening of
representatives of Government of Congo, the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD)-Goma and
the Movement for the the Liberation of Congo (MLC) signed an agreement proposed by the United Nations
Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). The first convoy has already
reached Kisangani escorted by MONUC riverine units.

to commercial

(2003/C 137 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1681/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 June 2002)

Subject: Entry documents for Kosovo

Many Kosovars who have been issued with statutory residence permits for Belgium pursuant to the law on
the regularisation of the status of people without identity documents have enormous difficulty in obtaining
entry documents for Kosovo, their country of origin. Theoretically there are two ways in which they can
obtain travel permits for Kosovo: they may apply either to the UNMIK administration in Kosovo or to the
Embassy of rump Yugoslavia in Belgium. In practice, however, they face immense problems no matter
which course they adopt. UNMIK has a cumbersome and complex administrative procedure and mostly
deals with urgent cases (deaths, etc). The other option does not actually have any legal basis in view of the
current international status of Kosovo and as the institutions in Kosovo to which elections have recently
been held have no administrative links with Belgrade. The Embassy of rump Yugoslavia in Brussels is
exploiting the situation by compelling these Kosovars to sign declarations of membership of the Serb
community and by charging them enormous fees. I have heard sums mentioned ranging from EUR 1 000
to 1 500.

Is the Commission aware of the above problems and state of affairs, and will the Commission ask the
UNMIK administration in Kosovo and the Belgian federal authorities to secure freedom of movement for
these Kosovars?

C 137 E/20

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

12.6.2003

Will the Commission strongly protest to the Serbian authorities in Belgrade about the conduct of their
embassy in Belgium in this respect?

Pending a definitive solution, can the Commission urge the authorities concerned to adopt interim
arrangements?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2002)

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) can only issue travel documents to
habitual residents of Kosovo.

In order to obtain an UNMIK travel document, the applicant must have registered in Kosovo (i.e. be the
holder of an UNMIK ID-card) and applied for the travel document. The relevant procedure is fast and
efficient. The application is filed and the document issued at the municipality of residence, and the
procedure normally only takes around three weeks.

As regards entry into Kosovo, UNMIK, in cooperation with the International Security Force in Kosovo
(KFOR), is following a policy of strict controls in line with its mandate under United Nations Security
Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1244 and in view of the necessary security considerations in the wider
region. It is important to note that there are no visa requirements as such for entering Kosovo.

Refugees with ‘statutory residence’ in any other territory, for example in Belgium, are not habitual residents
of Kosovo. Their status is governed by the respective national laws and regulations of their country of
residence, e.g. on interim or provisional documentation issued by that state.

The only way in which people originating in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) but not being
habitual residents of Kosovo, and whose state of residence does not issue provisional
internationally
accepted documentation, can obtain identity documents is through the FRY administration. UNSCR 1244
reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of FRY. FRY ID-documents can be obtained through the
network of FRY embassies abroad or, an improvement on past procedures, at the Yugoslav Liaison Office
in Pristina.

The Commission is not aware of any irregularities relating to the issuance of passports in FRY diplomatic
representations, but will convey the Honourable Member’s preoccupations to the FRY Embassy in Belgium.

(2003/C 137 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1684/02

by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 June 2002)

Subject: Free movement of hunting weapons

According to oral statements by the Italian authorities, the Italian laws Decreto Legge Nr. 527/92 of
30 December 1992 and Decreto Ministeriale Nr. 635/96 of 30 October 1996 do not permit
the
temporary importation of hunting weapons into Italy from another Member State, for example for them to
be shown to potential customers.

To what extent does the Commission view this as non-compliance with the implementation of Directive
91/477/EEC (1) and as an obstacle to the free movement of goods?

(1) OJ L 256, 13.9.1991, p. 51.