REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Third Report on the Post-Visa Liberalisation Monitoring for the Western Balkan Countries in accordance with the Commission Statement of 8 November 2010
Date: 2012-08-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU visa policy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Roma, Serbia, corruption, external border of the EU, illegal migration, organised crime

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 28.8.2012  
COM(2012) 472 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

Third Report on the Post-Visa Liberalisation Monitoring for the Western Balkan 
Countries in accordance with the Commission Statement of 8 November 2010 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

Third Report on the Post-Visa Liberalisation Monitoring for the Western Balkan 
Countries in accordance with the Commission Statement of 8 November 2010 

I. 

Introduction 

Since  19  December  2009,  the  citizens  of  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia, 
Montenegro and Serbia, holding a biometric passport, have enjoyed visa-free travel to the EU 
Member  States,  in  accordance  with  Regulation  539/20011.  Under  the  same  conditions  the 
citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina have enjoyed the same visa-free travel to the 
EU Member States since 15 December 2010.  

The  decisions  to  grant  visa-free  travel  to  citizens  of  these  Western  Balkan  countries  were 
based on thorough assessment of the progress made in the areas identified in the roadmaps 
for  the  visa  liberalisation  dialogues  (document  security,  border  management,  asylum, 
migration,  fight  against  organised  crime  and  corruption,  and  protection  of  fundamental 
rights).  The  visa-free  regime  is  the  most  tangible  benefit  for  the  citizens  of  the  Western 
Balkan countries in the process of their integration into the EU, and a very strong incentive 
for accelerating reforms in the area of justice and home affairs.  

In its statement presented on 8 November 2010 at the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the 
Commission has explicitly underlined the importance of a continued effective implementation 
of  all  measures  and  reforms  undertaken  by  the  Western  Balkan  countries  as  part  of  their 
obligations for the visa dialogue. In order to assess the consistency and sustainability of the 
relevant  reforms,  the  Commission  has  established  a  post-visa  liberalisation  monitoring 
mechanism,  which  covers  all  areas  of  the  visa  liberalisation  roadmaps  and  allows  the 
Commission to scrutinise the progress which has been made.  

The  purposes  of  this  report  are  (1)  to  present  the  actions  undertaken  under  the  post-visa 
liberalisation  monitoring  mechanism,  following  the  first  and  the  second  Commission  Staff 
Working  Papers  on  the  post  visa  liberalisation  monitoring  issued  in  May  and  December 
20112, (2) to assess the progress made in the relevant Western Balkan countries after the last 
assessment (December 2011), and (3) to identify the next steps and the concrete actions to be 
taken.  

Actions  undertaken  under  the  post-visa  liberalisation  monitoring  mechanism 

II. 
following the Second Commission Staff Working Paper issued on 7 December 2011 

The  second  Commission  Staff  Working  Paper  (CSWP)  on  the  post-visa  liberalisation 
monitoring mechanism  was issued on 7 December 2011 and was presented to the European 
Parliament and the Council in December 2011. It provided a detailed analysis of the progress 
achieved  by  the  Western  Balkan  countries  concerned  in  the  areas  identified  in  the  visa 
dialogue  roadmaps,  the  results  of  the  monitoring  mechanism,  as  well  as  the  measures 
undertaken by the Western Balkan countries with a view to develop the management of their 
migratory outflows.  

1 

2 

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  539/2001  of  15  March  2001  listing  the  third  countries  whose  nationals 
must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt 
from that requirement (OJ, L 81, 21.3.2001, p. 1). 
SEC(2011) 695 final and SEC(2011) 1570 final. 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
                                                 
In 2012 the Commission organised experts Rule of Law assessment missions to Montenegro 
(March  2012),  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia  (April  2012)  and  Albania 
(May 2012).  These  missions  allowed  the  Commission,  supported  by  EU  Member  States' 
experts, to verify on the spot the progress made and the sustainability of the reforms.  

In addition, on 1-2 March representatives from the Commission, including those from the EU 
Delegations in the Western Balkan countries met in Tirana in the framework of the biannual 
Western Balkan JAINET forum which represents an important mechanism for strengthening 
targeted expertise in the area of justice and home affairs in the EU Delegations. The meeting 
of  JAINET  constituted  an  operational  working  platform,  allowing  for  valuable  exchange  of 
information, relevant for the post-visa liberalisation monitoring mechanism.  

The  dialogue  between  the  Commission  and  the  Western  Balkan  countries  continues  also 
within  the  framework  of  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  Process.  On  24-25  April  the 
annual  Justice  Freedom  and  Security  Sub-committee  with  Albania  was  organised  in  Tirana. 
High  Level  meeting  with  the  authorities  of  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  in  the  area  of  home 
affairs  was  organised  in  Brussels  on  3  May,  which  also  covered  human  rights  issues 
previously  foreseen  under  Block  IV  of  the  visa  roadmap.  These  meetings  allow  detailed 
exchange of information between the Commission and the competent national authorities and 
stimulated fruitful discussions on the necessary reforms.  

The EU Member States mostly concerned by the influx of asylum seekers continue to carry 
out bilateral visits in the relevant Western Balkan countries in order to exchange information 
on this phenomenon and to discuss specific measures to tackle it, while keeping Commission 
informed  of  possible  developments.  Representatives  of  the  Western  Balkan  countries  were 
also invited to visit the EU Member States' competent authorities.  

Moreover,  within  the  framework  of  the  alert  mechanism  managed  by  FRONTEX  through 
the  Western  Balkans  Risk  Analysis  Network  (WEBRAN),  seven  additional  alert  reports 
have  been  issued  since  December  2011.  The  FRONTEX  alert  reports  continue  to  provide  a 
detailed  analysis  of  the  dynamic  migration  inflow  trends  from  the  region.  The  reports  are 
instrumental  for  better  understanding  the  phenomenon  of  the  abuse  of  visa  liberalisation, 
assessing its development and identifying concrete measures to tackle the challenges. On the 
basis  of  these  reports,  the  Commission  provided  regular  updates  and  analysis  of  the 
migration flows to the Member States in the relevant Council working groups, as well as in a 
number of bilateral meetings with the EU Member States concerned. 

III.  Assessment on the continued implementation of benchmarks undertaken during 
the visa liberalisation dialogues by the Western Balkan countries 

The current assessment is based on (1) the detailed reports requested by the Commission and 
provided by the Western Balkan countries, (2) the information exchanged during meetings in 
the  framework  of  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement  Committees  and  other 
dialogue meetings, as well as (3) the outcomes of three assessment missions carried out in 
March,  April  and  May  2012  by  Commission  services,  accompanied  by  Member  States' 
experts to Montenegro, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania respectively. 

For  each  country,  the  assessment  follows  the  block  structure  of  the  visa  liberalisation 
roadmaps. 

Albania 

In  the  area  of  document  security,  the  process  of  producing  and  distributing  biometric 
passports  and  identity  cards  continues  to  run  smoothly.  By  30  June  2012,  2.4 million 
biometric passports and 3.1 million biometric ID cards were issued.  

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
Some  progress  has  been  made  in  the  area  of  border  management.  A  protocol  for  joint 
patrolling was signed with Kosovo∗ and an agreement for exchange of information between 
border  migration  police  was  signed  with  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia.  The 
border  management  police  is  still  extending  access  to  the  criminal  intelligence  information 
system  (MEMEX)  to  regional  directorates  and  commissariats,  while  the  Inter-Institutional 
Maritime Operational Centre is not yet connected to it. Since July 2012 the Total Information 
Management System (TIMS) has been linked to the civil registry database in Border Crossing 
Points. Risk analysis and threat assessment capacities need to be reinforced.  

As  regards  migration,  some  progress  has  been  achieved.  The  readmission  agreement 
continues to be smoothly implemented. From November 2011 until March 2012, 2 407 return 
cases were recorded. Relevant institutions in charge of implementing the strategy and action 
plan for returned migrants should be reinforced. The adoption of the new National Migration 
Strategy is still pending. 

In the area of asylum, the institutional and legal frameworks are in place. As of May 2012, 82 
refugees  and  24  asylum  seekers  have  been  recognised.  However,  preparation  in  this  area 
needs  to  be  stepped  up.  No  ID  document  is  yet  provided  to  refugees  and  persons  granted 
complementary  protection.  The  Albanian  visa  regime  is  still  not  fully  in  line  with  the  EU 
requirements. 

In the field of police cooperation and the fight against organised crime, some progress is 
to  be  reported.  The  Albanian  State  Police  is  currently  reviewing  its  structure  in  order  to 
improve  reporting  capacities  of  front-line  officers  and  proactive  investigations.  There  is  an 
urgent  need  for  key  institutions  to  step  up  coordination  and  thus  maximize  the  capacity  to 
investigate serious and organised crime.  

There has been some progress in the area of fight against drugs. International cooperation is 
ongoing, while intelligence-led approach should be stepped up. Further efforts are necessary 
in order to increase the capacity of detecting and investigating drug trafficking.  

Some progress  has been achieved with regards to addressing trafficking in human beings, 
even  though  internal  trafficking  remains  a  concern.  Standard  operating  procedures  for 
identification and referral of victims and potential victims are in place, while the capacity of 
the law enforcement agencies and international cooperation need to be reinforced 

Progress can be reported in the area of money laundering. Risk assessments were developed 
by  the  police  and  shared  with  other  agencies.  Based  on  MONEYVAL  recommendations, 
amendments to the Criminal Code establishing the autonomy of money laundering crime from 
the predicate offence and the  crime of self-money laundering were adopted. The number of 
assets investigations, as well as reporting of suspicious transactions, increased. However, the 
number of convictions for money laundering remains significantly low. 

Limited  progress  has  been  achieved  regarding  the  fight  against  corruption.  The  legal  and 
institutional  framework  is  generally  in  place,  while  the  obstacles  to  proper  investigation 
related  to  the  immunity  regime  of  high  level  public  officials  and  the  judiciary  need  to  be 
removed. The implementation of anti-corruption measures remains insufficient. A solid track 
record of investigations, prosecutions and convictions at all levels needs to be established.  

There  has  been  uneven  progress  in  the  field  of  fundamental  rights,  with  some  progress 
achieved  on  women's  rights  and  anti-discrimination  and  limited  progress  as  regards  Roma 
inclusion. The efforts for the implementation of the policy tools targeting vulnerable groups 

∗ 

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and 
the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
                                                 
need  to  be  enhanced.  The  implementation  of  the  Strategy  on  improving  Roma  living 
conditions  is  still  slow.  Measures  have  been  taken  to  tackle  the  issue  of  unregistered  Roma 
children.  The  efforts  for  the  implementation  of  the  policy  tools  targeting  vulnerable  groups 
need  to  be  enhanced.  Overall,  Roma  still  face  very  difficult  living  conditions  and  frequent 
discrimination,  mostly  regarding  access  to  education,  employment,  social  and  health 
protection, as well as housing. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Good  progress  has  been  made  in  the  area  of  document  security.  By  May  2012,  1  187  007 
biometric passports were issued, which is 72% of all passports in circulation. The new law on 
the  identity  cards  has  been  adopted.  Both  entities  have  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on 
registry  books.  However,  its  full  implementation  is  still  to  be  pursued.  A  draft  law  on 
residenceship, strengthening the legal framework remains to be adopted. 

Progress was made in border management. Most of the legislation related to the integrated 
border  management  (IBM),  including  the  Law  on  border  control  is  mainly  based  on  the 
relevant  EU  acquis.  The  revised  IBM  strategy  and  action  plan  are  being  implemented. 
Infrastructure  at  border  crossing  points  is  further  improved.  Out  of  55  international  border 
crossing points, 29 are covered  by video surveillance. All international  border crossings are 
equipped with biometric passport readers and connected to the integrated system of Control of 
State  Border  Crossings.  The  adoption  of  the  Rulebook  on  the  internal  organisation  of  the 
Border Police has been further delayed. Financial resources need to be allocated to guarantee 
the  infrastructural  interventions  necessary  to  block  the  unauthorised  Border  Crossing  Points 
already  identified  along  the  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  borders  with  Montenegro  and  Serbia. 
Parallel action is expected also by the other two countries concerned. 

Progress  was  achieved  in  the  area  of  migration.  The  centre  for  temporary  detention  of 
irregular  immigrants  is  operational.  Implementation  of  the  readmission  agreement  between 
the  European  Union  and  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  continued  smoothly.  The  strategy  for  the 
reintegration of returnees remains to be implemented. 

There  was  some  progress  in  the  area  of  asylum.  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  continues  to 
implement the legal and the strategic framework smoothly. The capacity of the asylum system 
is sufficient to address the current number of asylum applications. 

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  is  still  at  an  early  stage  of  addressing  the  fight  against  organised 
crime.  The  system  of  electronic  data  exchange  from  the  records  maintained  by  police  and 
prosecutorial offices reached the testing phase, digitalisation of police archives continues. The 
lack of systematic exchange of proper intelligence and effective and sustainable coordination 
and cooperation mechanisms among the different law enforcement agencies prevents further 
progress in the fight against organised crime. A draft Law on Witness Protection Programme 
addressing shortcomings of the current legislation has been prepared and is in the procedure 
for adoption.  

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  has  made  some  progress  in  the  area  of  fight  against  drug 
trafficking. The institutional capacities to coordinate and systematically implement the policy 
framework  remain  weak.  Law  enforcement  activities  need  to  be  enhanced.  A  Rulebook  on 
safekeeping and destruction of seized narcotic drugs was adopted by the Council of Ministers. 
The  draft  amendments  to  the  Law  on  prevention  and  suppression  of  the  abuse  of  narcotic 
drugs, which foresees the establishment of an Office for Drugs is yet to be adopted. 

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  has  made  some  progress  with  regards  to  addressing  trafficking  in 
human beings (THB). The number of THB victims identified increased. Further efforts are 
needed  to  improve  the  coordination  and  maintain  effective  cooperation,  both  between 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
competent authorities and with NGOs dealing with human trafficking. Proactive identification 
of victims, as well as effective and well-functioning national referral mechanism are of utmost 
importance. Further strengthening of criminal prosecution is needed. 

Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  has  made  some  progress  in  the  area  of  fight  against  money 
laundering.  There  has  been  an  increase  of  criminal  offences  and  the  number  of  confirmed 
indictments  of  money  laundering  has  increased.  The  MONEYVAL  recommendations,  in 
particular  those  related  to  the  operational  and  budgetary  independence  of  Financial 
Intelligence  Department,  need  to  be  promptly  addressed.  Amendments  to  the  Law  on 
prevention  of  money  laundering  and  financing  of  terrorist  activities,  addressing  the 
MONEYVAL  recommendations  remains  to  be  adopted.  The  mechanism  of  confiscation  of 
assets needs to become operational throughout the country.  

Limited progress has been made in the area of fight against corruption. The Rulebook of the 
Anti-Corruption Agency was adopted in July. The further efforts ate necessary for the proper 
implementation  of  the  Anti-Corruption  Action  Plan.  Effective  investigations,  prosecutions 
and convictions in corruption cases remain rare, while the number of acquittals and suspended 
sentences is high.  

In  the  area  of  fundamental  rights  related  to  the  freedom  of  movement,  little  progress  has 
been  made  as  regards  the  Roma  minority.  While  some  progress  was  made  in  the 
implementation of the Action Plan on housing, only little progress was made on employment, 
health  care  and  education.  The  process  of  revision  of  the  Action  plans  on  housing, 
employment  and  health  to  better  reflect  the  needs  of  the  Roma  population,  in  line  with  the 
recommendations  of  the  Roma  Inclusion  Seminar  of  July  2011,  has  been  launched. 
Discrimination  in  access  to  employment,  health  care,  pension  rights  and  the  slow  pace  of 
demining,  remain  barriers  to  the  sustainable  return  and  local  integration  of  internally 
displaced  persons  and  other  vulnerable  groups.  The  difficulties  as  regards  the  available 
financial  and  human  resources  for  the  Ombudsman  are  still  not  addressed.  Cases  on 
discrimination brought by citizens remain rare.  

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 

As regards document security, until March 2012 in total 1 398 280 travel documents and 1 
517 873 ID cards were issued. The process of issuance is running smoothly. Upon expiry of 
the deadline for replacement of old passports (27 February 2012) only biometric passports are 
valid.  

In the area of border management, in February 2012 a National Council for the integrated 
border  management  strategy  was  established.  The  National  Council  is  responsible  for 
monitoring  and  implementation  of  the  strategy  and  its  action  plan.  It  consists  of 
representatives of relevant ministries and institutions involved in the implementation process. 
Reconstruction of nine police stations for border surveillance was completed while they are 
still not connected to the central database of the Ministry of Interior. The joint contact centres 
for police cooperation were established with Albania, Serbia and Kosovo. Protocols for joint 
border patrols are being realised through mixed patrols with Albania, Bulgaria and Kosovo.  

In  the  area  of  asylum  a  national  programme  for  integration  was  adopted  for  2012  ensuring 
state  funding  for  housing  support  to  persons  granted  asylum.  The  reception  capacities  and 
human  recourses  of  the  asylum  centre  in  Vizbegovo  increased.  Administrative  capacity  and 
efficiency  of  the  asylum  administration  remain  insufficient  and  need  to  be  enhanced.  The 
asylum  procedure  is  slow;  no  progress  has  been  made  to  speed  up  the  process  of  providing 
asylum seekers with ID documents, providing of interpretation remains an obstacle. 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
As  regards  migration,  the  secondary  legislation  needed  for  full  operability  of  the  national 
database for foreigners (covering data on asylum, migration and visa) has been drafted. The 
national  migration  profile  for  2011  was  adopted.  Four  migration  centres  providing 
information on legal migration to citizens are operating. The readmission agreement with the 
EU has been implemented smoothly. A readmission agreement with Serbia entered into force 
and a readmission agreement with Montenegro was signed. 

In  the  area  of  fight  against  organised  crime,  investigative  centres  and  judicial  police 
foreseen by the CPC have not been established yet. Further efforts are needed to implement 
the action plan for the enforcement of the new CPC, in particular as regards training of law 
enforcement agents and prosecutors. There is no progress as regards of the staff shortage of 
the  Centre  for  Suppression  of  Organised  and  Serious  Crime  at  the  Ministry  of  Interior.  The 
National  Criminal  Intelligence  Database  in  charge  of  intelligence  gathering  is  still  in  the 
tendering  phase  and  the  National  Coordination  Centre  for  fight  against  organised  crime  has 
not yet been established. Efforts of relevant law enforcement bodies (the Ministry of Interior, 
the  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office,  the  Customs  Administration  and  the  Financial  Police)  in 
fighting  organised  crime  should  be  strengthened.  Prosecutor's  effectiveness  is  hampered  by 
the lack of direct access to databases. Little progress can be reported in the area of the fight 
against drugs. The amount of drugs seized on the country's territory remained low, The human 
resources  capacity  of  the  Illicit  Drugs  Department  of  the  Ministry  of  Interior  should  be 
strengthened. Efforts of the law enforcement agencies in detecting and seizing drugs need to 
be enhanced. 

The  international  and  regional  co-operation  in  the  area  of  the  cross-border  organised  crime 
has continued. The operational agreement with EUROPOL was ratified. 

As  regards  the  fight  against  corruption,  in  December  2011  the  State  Commission  for 
Prevention  of  Corruption  (SCPC)  adopted  national  programmes:  for  prevention  and 
repression of corruption, as well as for prevention of the conflict of interest, together with the 
accompanying  Action  Plan  2011-2015.  In  the  prevention  of  corruption  field  a  number  of 
training activities were carried out (for judges, prosecutors, law enforcement agents and civil 
servants). A systematic verification of asset declarations by the SCPC has been launched. The 
verification of conflict of interest statements has started following the adoption of secondary 
legislation, but the system is incomplete. The system of controlling both funding of political 
parties and financing of electoral campaigns need to be reinforced to ensure its transparency 
and  accountability.  A  track  record  of  high-level  corruption  cases  has  yet  to  be  established. 
The independence of the judiciary remains a matter of concern affecting the determination to 
combat corruption. 

In the field of fundamental rights, the Action Plan on inclusion of Roma and Roma refugees 
was  adopted  in  December  2011.  It  includes  measures  for  further  improving  the  access  of 
Roma  population  to  employment,  education,  housing  and  personal  documents.  Action  Plan 
evaluation envisages stakeholders' meetings every 6 months and a first meeting was held in 
February  2012.  The  capacities  of  Roma  Information  Centres  (RIC)  were  enhanced  through 
purchase of new technical equipment. In February 2012 tenth RIC was opened in Topansko 
pole. As regards access to education, a decision was adopted to build two schools in the Shuto 
Orizari municipality. Measures for granting scholarships for Roma pupils continued, as well 
as  projects  on  inclusion  of  Roma  children  in  the  pre-school  institutions.  Training  for  Roma 
health mediators has been realised and 16 of them will start work in 8 municipalities. 

Montenegro 

In the area of document  security, 313 109 biometric passports and 444 023 ID cards were 
issued until 31 March 2012. The process is running smoothly. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
As regards border management, modernisations of two border crossing points (BCP) on the 
border with Serbia (Dobrakovo, Dracenovac) have been finalised. IT equipment and vehicles 
for the border police at major BCPs have been procured, installed and made operational. For 
all  other  BCPs  a  detailed  analysis  of  needs  has  been  carried  out  and  shortcomings  in 
equipment identified. The capacity of the border police was also strengthened through training 
activities.  

In the area of migration, a co-ordination body was established to monitor the implementation 
of  the  2011-2016  Strategy  for  reintegration  of  persons  returned  under  the  readmission 
agreements.  The  readmission  agreement  between  the  EU  and  Montenegro  continues  to  be 
implemented  smoothly.  The  establishment  of  the  reception  centre  for  irregular  migrants  has 
been completed. 

In the field of asylum, the Law on asylum and the Law on foreigners have been adopted, but 
their implementation presents a number of challenges. Competences of the relevant national 
bodies  should  be  further  clarified.  Adjudication  of  asylum  claims  has  not  improved.  The 
construction of the reception centre for asylum seekers was completed. 

In  the  area  of  the  fight  against  organised  crime,  an  Action  Plan  for  combating  organized 
crime was adopted in January 2012 which introduces operational measures and indicators in 
line with the priorities  identified  in  the  2011  Organized  Crime  Threat Assessment (OCTA). 
Amendments  to  the  Rulebook  on  internal  organisation  and  job  description  of  the  Police 
Administration were adopted in November 2011, introducing more specialised organisational 
units  within  the  Police.  Relations  between  the  prosecution  and  police  services  need  to  be 
improved to ensure the leading role of the prosecutor in the investigations. Prosecutors' lack 
of  direct  access  to  relevant  databases  and  lack  of  sufficient  capacity  hampers  the  effective 
implementation  of  the  Criminal  Procedure  Code.  The  capacities  of  the  law  enforcement 
bodies  in  conducting  financial  investigations  need  to  be  strengthened.  The  capacity  to  use 
special  investigative  means  has  improved  (in  terms  of  staff  and  equipment).  However,  the 
existing  time  limitations  hamper  their  effective  use.  The  Intelligence  Led  Policing  project 
needs to be rolled out throughout the country and the police staff should be trained in parallel. 
The  international  and  regional  co-operation  on  cross-border  organised  crime  continued 
effectively.  The  competences  related  to  the  fight  against  drugs  have  been  centralised  at  the 
criminal police department; its capacities were strengthened through specialised training and 
by the purchase of equipment to be used in anti-drug operations. Raising awareness activities 
on  drugs  were  conducted  in  schools  and  at  local  level.  Close  cooperation  with  Europol, 
Interpol, EU Member States police forces, and the neighbouring countries in the field of drugs 
continued. 

As  regards  the  area  of  the  fight  against  corruption,  further  steps  have  been  taken  to 
strengthen  the  legal  framework.  Still,  the  mechanisms  for  controlling  funding  of  political 
parties and electoral campaigns, as well as the enforcement of sanctions need to be reinforced 
and further specified in the legal framework. Control mechanisms in public procurement need 
to be reinforced. Following the entry into force of amendments to the Law on prevention of 
conflict of interest, all 36 Members of the Parliament who were also members of management 
boards  of  state-owned  companies  resigned  from  these  positions  and  all  16  Members  of 
Parliament who also held executive positions (including 2 mayors) have resigned from one of 
their functions. The Commission for the Prevention of Conflict of Interest lacks the capacity 
to control the accuracy of civil servants' asset declarations and declarations of interest, as well 
as to identify illicit enrichment since it has no investigative powers and no access to relevant 
databases. The number of corruption cases in which seizure of assets was ordered is still very 
low.  Legal  provisions  on  extended  confiscation  have  not  been  used  so  far.  A  number  of 
awareness-raising campaigns for reporting corruption have been carried out. The Directorate 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
for Anti-Corruption Initiatives was transferred under the authority of the Ministry of Justice. 
However  its  competences  need  to  be  upgraded  and  its  capacities reinforced to  ensure  better 
co-ordination of corruption prevention activities.  

In  the  area  of  fundamental  rights,  the  members  of  the  Council  for  the  protection  against 
discrimination  were  appointed  in  February  2012.  Awareness-raising  activities  have  been 
launched  during  the  reporting  period.  However,  the  capacities  of  the  Ombudsman's  Office 
need  to  be  strengthened  by  financial  means  and  through  the  appointment  of  new  staff. 
Legalisation of the  status  of  displaced  persons  has  advanced  and  should  move  forward.  A 
strategy to improve the situation of the RAE population was adopted in April 2012 together 
with  its  action  plan.  Projects  on  social  inclusion  of  RAE  population  continued.  However, 
sustainable  efforts  are  needed  to  improve  access  to  economic  and  social  rights  for  the 
displaced  persons  and  for  the  RAE  persons.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to  provide 
sustainable living conditions in Konik. 

Serbia 

In  the  area  of  document  security,  the  process  of  producing  and  distributing  biometric 
passports  and  secure  ID  cards  continued.  Between  July  2008  and  March  2012,  Serbian 
authorities issued more than 3.8 million biometric passports and nearly 3.5 million ID cards. 
A special coordination directorate is responsible for issuing biometric passports and ID cards 
to  persons  residing  in  Kosovo.  Between  November  2011  and  March  2012,  it  issued  17,000 
biometric passports to persons residing in Kosovo.  

In the area of border management, Serbia has continued to implement its IBM strategy and 
action  plan.  It  has  established  contact  points  for  cross-border  cooperation  with  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina and Montenegro. It continued to upgrade video surveillance facilities and carried 
out  joint  operations  at  border-crossing  points  with  neighbouring  countries.  The  operation  of 
the early warning system to detect false travel documents is running smoothly. However, the 
IBM strategy needs to be updated. Full connection between all border crossing points and the 
central  database  of  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior  remains  to  be  ensured.  The  establishment  of 
several  new  BCPs  has  put  a  strain  on  resources;  and  the  domestic  sharing  of  data  and  risk 
profiles,  particularly  in  combatting  trafficking  in  human  beings,  remains  deficient.  The 
control  of  the  administrative  boundary  line  with  Kosovo  remains  a  considerable  challenge, 
and  information  exchange  with  EULEX  should  improve.  Serbia  should  sign  and  implement 
the Technical Protocol for implementation of the IBM Agreed Conclusions of the Belgrade - 
Pristina Dialogue of 2 December 2011. 

In  the  field  of  migration,  Serbia  has  not  made  progress.  The  legislative  framework  largely 
meets EU standards but remains to be effectively  implemented.  Claims  are  still  temporarily 
processed  by  the  Border  Police  Asylum  Unit,  as  the  Asylum  Office  foreseen  as  the  first 
instance  body  has  not  been  formally  established  yet.  The  mandate  of  the  Asylum 
Commission, the second instance body, expired in April 2012 and new members remain to be 
elected.  Serbia  has  two  asylum  reception  centres,  but  they  have  insufficient  capacity  to 
provide services for all asylum seekers. Serbia should improve its asylum regime by swiftly 
establishing a third centre, developing a system to process asylum seekers’ biometric data and 
enhancing conditions for integrating  asylum seekers. It should take further steps to align its 
legislation with the EU acquis on legal migration, notably on the right to family reunification, 
long-term residence and the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for studies. A 
national  database  for  checking  personal  data  and  fingerprints  of  asylum-seekers  is  still 
missing. Readmission between the EU and Serbia functions smoothly.  

In  the  area  of  fight  against  organised  crime,  Serbia  has  made  progress.  A  number  of 
legislative proposals seeking to enhance law enforcement capacity and improve asset recovery 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
are  in  the  pipeline.  The  special  prosecutor  for  organised  crime  initiated  a  number  of  high-
profile cases in the reporting period, but confiscation of assets remains moderate. Cooperation 
with  Europol  and  Eurojust  is  improving,  and  Serbia  is  closer  to  signing  an  operational 
agreement  with  Europol.  Serbia  remains  a  country  of  origin,  transit  and  destination  for 
trafficking in human  beings.  The  legislative  and institutional framework in the  fight  against 
drug trafficking is  in place,  but Serbia remains an integral part of the drug trafficking route 
across the Western Balkans. Addressing these challenges will require continuous efforts. 

Little progress has been achieved in the area of fight against corruption. Serbia has put in 
place  the  legal  and  institutional  framework  to  combat  corruption,  including  an  Anti-
Corruption  Agency  and  a  new  law  on  funding  of  political  parties  in  line  with  European 
standards.  The  Minister  of  Justice  was  appointed  anti-corruption  coordinator.  However,  the 
introduction of a proactive, intelligence-led approach in the fight against corruption as well as 
organised crime remains outstanding. The authorities have not yet finalised its National Anti-
Corruption Strategy for 2012-2017 and its Action Plan. The Anti-Corruption Agency has still 
to  establish  a  track  record  of  effective  control  of  party  funding  and  to  improve  cooperation 
with  relevant  stakeholders  to  investigate  declarations  of  assets  effectively.  There  is  little 
implementation of protection of whistle-blowers. The capacity to carry out complex financial 
investigations remains limited; a centralised criminal intelligence system is lacking; and asset 
recovery remains moderate.  

In  the  area  of  fundamental  rights  related  to  the  freedom  of  movement,  Serbia  has  made 
limited  progress.  The  Ministry  of  Interior  has  launched  a  campaign  to  recruit  staff  from 
minority communities. A strategy and an action plan seek to improve the status of the Roma 
in  Serbia.  The  Conditions  for  basic  education,  enrolment  in  schools,  civil  registration  and 
access  to  health  care  have  slightly  improved.  Further  serious  efforts,  including  financial 
resources,  are  needed  in  order  to  improve  the  status  and  socio-economic  conditions  of  the 
Roma,  who  continue  to  be  the  most  vulnerable  and  marginalised  minority.  Access  to  the 
labour market remains particularly challenging. 

Prevention  mechanism  against  abuse  of  visa  liberalisation  by  citizens  from  the 

IV. 
Western Balkan countries: evaluation of its implementation 
The present evaluation is based on the 12th to 18th FRONTEX alert reports as well as on the 
reports provided by the Western Balkan countries, as requested by the Commission.  

As  outlined  in  the  first  and  the  second  CSWPs  of  2011,  referred  above,  some  EU  Member 
States have experienced seasonal waves of increasing number of asylum seekers following 
the decisions taken at the end of 2009 and 2010 to grant visa-free travel to the Western Balkan 
countries3.  

During  the  reporting  period  Belgium,  Germany,  Luxembourg  and  Sweden  remain  favourite 
destination  countries.  In  addition,  from  the  beginning  of  2012  Switzerland  is  experiencing 
higher pressure to its asylum system due to the significant increase of asylum seekers, mainly 
from  Serbia.  As  one  of  the  Schengen  Associated  Countries,  Switzerland  was  invited  and 
subsequently  has  joined  the  Post  Visa  Liberalisation  Monitoring  Mechanism  Task  Force  in 
February 2012.  

The  seasonal  character  of  the  arrival  of  asylum  seekers  from  the  Western  Balkan  countries 
continues to be observed also during the first half of 2012, while some new dynamics have 
been identified. The FRONTEX alert reports show that the total number of asylum seekers 
from  the  region  has  decreased  in  comparison  with  the  previous  reporting  period  (January  -

3 

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia in 2009 and Albania, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina in 2010. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
                                                 
31%,  February  -20%,  March  -20%,  April  -15%)  while  slight  increase  has  been  observed  in 
May (+20%). The decline is mainly due to the considerable decrease of the number of asylum 
seekers from Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia which still remain the 
top two asylum intake nationalities. The sudden increase in May is due to significant increase 
followed  by  significant  decrease  of  asylum  applications  of  Albanian  citizens  triggered  by 
rumours and misinformation.  

The  positive  effect  of  the  seasonal  decrease  illustrated  during  the  first  four  months  is, 
however,  counteracted  by  several  phenomena.  Firstly,  the  decreasing  trend  is  not  equally 
spread  among  all  five  visa-free  Western  Balkan  countries.  While  the  number  of  asylum 
seekers from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia decreased or remained 
stable,  those  from  Albania,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  and  Montenegro  increased  when 
compared with the same period of 20114.  

Secondly, some EU Member States experienced increase of asylum seekers coming from the 
region despite the initial seasonal decreasing trend. The highest numbers have been registered 
in  Belgium  (+20%  in  April),  Luxembourg  (+31%  in  May)  and  Sweden  (+133%  in  May). 
Moreover,  sharp  off-trend  fluctuations  have  been  observed  in  some  countries  of  origin  and 
countries of destination5.  

Furthermore,  the  annual  comparison  of  the  number  of  asylum  seekers  from  the  region 
suggests delayed seasonality with less pronounced increasing and decreasing trends. The 
weekly  increase  during  the  last  two  weeks  of  April  (+31%)  suggests  that  the  new  wave  of 
asylum  applications  started  with  one  month  and  a  half  delay  in  comparison  with  2011.  In 
addition, as outlined in the last CSWP (December 2011) the delayed winter pick in 2011 was 
30% lower than the one in 2010. This phenomenon might have an impact on the level of the 
currently observed starting spring/summer wave.  

The  most  frequent  reasons  for  asylum  claims  continue  to  be  lack  of  health  care, 
unemployment  and  lack  of  schooling.  In  addition,  an  increasing  number  of  asylum  seekers 
have been motivated to leave their countries of origin on the basis of rumours and received 
wrong information for asylum protection given on economic grounds. In relation to the latter, 
the  EU  Member  States  embassies  in  the  Western  Balkan  countries  have  intensified  their 
efforts  to  clarify  the  purpose  and  the  conditions  of  the  asylum  protection.  The  FRONTEX 
alert reports confirmed that the majority of people continue to choose the same EU countries 
as destination, because of information which they receive from friends and relatives who have 
already travelled to these countries. Most of them are also aware that there is little chance for 
their asylum request to be granted, but try their chances anyway. 

As  regards  the  underlying  reasons  for  the  high  number  of  asylum  applications  which  are 
subsequently  judged  to  be  unfounded,  the  duration  of  asylum  procedures  and  the 
associated length of authorised stay in a given Member State remain relevant factors which 
are taken into account by the would-be asylum seeker.  

As mentioned in the previous CSWP, the concerned EU Member States put in place specific 
counter-measures, e.g. informational campaigns, optimisation of human resources employed 

4 

5 

Comparative  statistical  data  for  May  2012  versus  May  2011:  Albania  (+725%);  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina (+14%); the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (-48%); Montenegro (+77%), Serbia 
(-13%). 
Sharp  off-trend  increase  of  asylum  applications  have  been  registered  by  Albanian  citizens  in 
Luxembourg  (+275%  in  February  and  +233%  in  March),  and  in  Sweden  (+268%  in  April  and  May 
+413%); citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Luxembourg (+1600% in April); citizens of the former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in Luxembourg (+480% in May); Montenegrin citizens in Germany 
(+750% in January) and in Switzerland (+200 % in May). 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
in treating asylum claims, decrease of the average processing time for manifestly unfounded 
asylum applications and more effective procedures for appeals. It appears that the information 
of the measures have had an impact on the choice of countries of destination of some national 
groups.  

The common profile of the asylum seekers has been confirmed also during the first half of 
2012. The majority of the claims continue to be persons belonging to the Roma minority, who 
often  arrive  with  their  families.  The  level  of  education  among  the  Roma  population  in  the 
region remains low, and unemployment rates are very high, contributing to social exclusion 
and deterioration of living conditions.  

The attempts to circumvent the asylum and return procedures, as outlined in the previous 
CSWP continue. Some asylum seekers do not present their biometric passports when claiming 
asylum which impede their identification.  
The  asylum  recognition  rate  remains  very  low6,  indicating,  as  in  the  previous  reports,  the 
unfounded nature of most asylum claims. However, unlike the previous period, when the new 
asylum  applications  out-numbered  the  number  of  returns,  since  mid-January  2012  the  ratio 
between  the  number  of  new  asylum  claims  and  the  number  of  returns  is  currently  fairly 
balanced.  

The  authorities  of  the  five  Western  Balkan  countries  have  continued  to  take  measures  as 
requested by the Commission to counter the phenomenon, as detailed above under section II. 
The  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia  has  adopted  a  new  plan  (April  –  September 
2012) focussing  particularly on  social and economic measures  aiming to improve the living 
conditions of vulnerable groups, including Roma minority.  

All update reports on the implementation of the action plans dedicated to counteract abuse of 
the  visa-free  regime  presented  by  the  Western  Balkan  countries  continue  to  give  particular 
importance  to  information  campaigns.  Posters,  brochures  and  leaflets  clarifying  the 
obligations  and  rights  stemming  from  the  visa-free  travel  to  the  Schengen  area,  as  well  as 
information on the rules for access to the EU labour market have been distributed throughout 
the countries. The Western Balkan countries report on increasing involvement of local NGOs 
in this process. The EU Delegations in the region continue to play an important role in this 
respect.  

Measures to strengthen border controls continue to be applied. Particular attention has been 
given  to  border  crossing  points  with  high  road  traffic  intensity.  All  visa-exempted  Western 
Balkan  countries  report  on  relatively  high  number  of  identified  persons  who  attempted  to 
leave  their  countries  of  origin  without  meeting  the  legal  requirements.  Measures  for 
enhancing  cross-border  cooperation  between  the  neighbouring  countries  have  been  also 
intensified.  

The  Western  Balkan  countries  also  reported  on  continuation  of  measures  as  regards  the 
control  of  travel  agencies  and  transport  companies  potentially  involved  in  misinforming 
citizens  about  asylum  benefits.  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of 
Macedonia and Serbia continue to coordinate actions of their law enforcement agencies and 
the Ministries of transport to investigate possible irregularities. The authorities of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina  reported  on  withdrawn  transport  licences  based  on  irregularities  as  regards  the 
rules of international transport of persons while several cases are in prosecution phase.  

6 

'Recognition  rate'  was  calculated  as  a  share  of  positive  decisions  (those  granting  refugee  status  or 
subsidiary protection (Directive 2004/83) or humanitarian status (national law)) in the total number of 
decisions in first instance procedures. The total number of decisions consists of positive and negative 
decisions. 

EN 

12 

   EN 

 
                                                 
The  amendments  of  the  legal  framework  in  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia 
introducing  a  new  criminal  offence  of  facilitation  of  the  misuse  of  the  visa-free  regime,  as 
reported in the previous CSWP (December 2011) have been implemented. 

Long-term measures for better integration of the Roma minority have been agreed with 
each  country  at  seminars  held  by  the  Commission,  in  particular  on  housing  and  access  to 
health,  education  and  employment.    Their  successful  and  continuous  implementation  is  of 
utmost  importance  for  addressing  the  phenomenon  of  unfounded  asylum  applications  (see 
also  the  country's  analysis  in  section  III).  The  European  Commission  had  organised  jointly 
with the respective authorities throughout 2011 a series of "Roma seminars" in the region to 
review  and  find  solutions  to  the  challenges  the  Roma  community  faces.  Overall  horizontal 
findings identified an important gap between the adequate legislation and policies currently in 
place,  and  their  proper  implementation  on  the  ground.  The  seminars  led  to  a  number  of 
operational conclusions in key areas such as: civil registration, education, employment, social 
and  health  care,  housing  and  freedom  of  movement.  Follow  up  sessions  on  the 
implementation of the conclusions jointly agreed with the authorities are scheduled in 2012. 
In  addition,  the  successful  conclusion  of  the  'Sarajevo  process'  for  the  return  or  local 
integration of the most vulnerable refugees and IDPs will provide an important contribution to 
settling these communities.  

Additional  efforts  have  been  made  for  the  integration  of  returnees7.  Serbia  continued  to 
implement its reintegration strategy and reported on a project to develop a database tracking 
returnees' access to public services. Three reception centres welcome returnees in Serbia. An 
information  booklet  on  return  has  been  translated  into  several  languages.  Yet,  the  financial 
means  for  reintegration  for  all  five  visa-exempted  Western  Balkan  countries  remain 
insufficient and returnees' access to jobs, education, training and recognised qualifications is 
still limited.  

The  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  are  currently  discussing  legislative  proposals 
aiming, inter alia, at limiting the abuse of the asylum systems in the EU Member States and 
preventing  asylum  shopping.  In  addition,  the  proposal  of  the  Qualification  Directive  has 
been adopted in December 2011. Work on other instruments continues. 

Finally, the co-legislators are in the final stage of discussing the Commission's proposal for an 
amendment of Regulation 539/2001 (which lists the third countries whose nationals must be 
in  possession  of  a  visa  when  crossing  the  external  borders  and  those  whose  nationals  are 
exempted from that requirement)8
 . This proposal, foresees inter alia a visa safeguard clause 
allowing the temporary suspension of the visa waiver for a third country whose nationals are 
exempted  from  the  visa  obligation  in  case  of  an  emergency  situation,  where  an  urgent 
response needs to be given to solve difficulties faced by one or more Member States. Such a 
mechanism  would  be  a  measure  of  last  resort  and  can  be  applied  to  any  third  country 
exempted from the visa obligation.  

V. 

Next steps and concrete actions 

The  Commission  considers  that  the  post-visa  liberalisation  monitoring  mechanism 
currently  in  place  continues  to  function  effectively  and  to  provide  the  necessary  tools  to 

7 

8 

2,400  Serbian  nationals  have  been  returned  to  Serbia  between  November  2011  and  March  2012. 
2,400 Albanian  citizens  have  been  returned  to  Albania  between  November  2011  and  March  2012. 
983 citizens  of  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia  have  been  returned  during  2011. 
234 Montenegrin nationals have been returned between January 2011 and April 2012. 
COM (290) 2011. 

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
 
                                                 
monitor the continuous implementation of the visa liberalisation benchmarks by the Western 
Balkan  countries  and  the  migration  flows  between  these  countries  and  the  Union.  The  alert 
mechanism  has  the  capacity  to  help  EU  decision-makers,  including  the  Commission,  to 
understand the nature of the current phenomenon, to assess its developments and to prepare 
for possible future measures and decisions.  

The FRONTEX alert mechanism is crucial to enable the Commission and the Member States 
to  continue  the  effective  monitoring  of  the  situation  and  of  migration  flows  between  the 
Western  Balkan  region  and  the  Union.  The  alert  mechanism  should  therefore  be  continued. 
An assessment concerning its further extension will be made in the beginning of 2013. 

Based  on  the  monitoring  during  the  last  six  months  and  in  comparison  with  the  December 
2011 CSWP, the following conclusions can be drawn: 

The  large  majority  of  travellers  from  the  visa-free  Western  Balkan  countries  continue  to  be 
bona fide travellers and thus the genuine purpose of visa liberalisation - to facilitate people-
to-people  contacts,  enhance  business  opportunities  and  cultural  exchanges  and  give  the 
possibility  to  the  people  of  the  region  to  get  to  know  the  EU  better  –  continues  to  be 
satisfactory. 

Implementation  of  the  reforms  undertaken  by  the  Western  Balkan  countries  in  the  area 
covered  by  the  visa  liberalisation  roadmaps  continued.  However,  in  some  cases  reinforced 
efforts are needed to ensure the full sustainability and irreversibility of the reforms. 

The level of bilateral cooperation and implementation of the EU Readmission Agreements 
with the Western Balkan countries continue to be positive.  

The phenomenon of abuse of visa liberalisation has developed in terms of seasonality and 
geographical scope. At a global level, the total number of asylum seekers from the Western 
Balkan countries has decreased in comparison with the previous reporting period of 2011. 
However,  the  year-by-year  comparison  demonstrates  increase  of  asylum  seekers  during  the 
off-pick  season.  Combined  with  the  decrease  during  the  pick  season,  as  reported  in  the 
previous  CSWP,  this  development  shows  delayed  and  less  sharp  seasonality  trends. 
Moreover,  the  trends  observed  as  regards  individual  countries  of  origin  and  countries  of 
destination outline fluctuations which are not compatible with the global trend. For a second 
consecutive year, the phenomenon has broadened geographically. 

The  poor  level  of  integration  of  local  communities,  in  particular  of  Roma  origin, 
continues  to  be  a  push  factor  for  the  vast  majority  of  unfounded  asylum  applications.  The 
main reasons for leaving remain economic, based on expected financial advantages associated 
with asylum claims in some EU Member States.  

The Western Balkan countries remain committed to finding solutions to the current problems 
and  some  of  the  measures  put  in  place  have  produced  positive  results.  However,  the 
broadened geographical dimension and the increasing frequency of well-organised groups 
of asylum-seekers of Roma origin call for more targeted result-oriented actions. 

On the basis of the above conclusions, as well as of the consultations and exchange of best 
practices  undertaken  in  the  last  months  between  the  Commission,  the  Western  Balkan 
countries  and  the  EU  Member  States  concerned,  the  following  actions  continue  to  be 
identified as necessary:  

(1) 

Firstly, enhanced cooperation with the authorities of the Western Balkan countries 
should continue in order to help to overcome and if possible to anticipating difficult 
situations  faced  by  some  EU  Member  States.  This  cooperation  is  of  a  particular 
importance  in  view  of  the  diverging  trends  of  some  countries  of  origin  and  some 

EN 

14 

   EN 

 
(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

countries  of  destination.  The  cooperation  should  be  based  on  regular  information 
exchange between the Commission, EU Member States concerned and the countries 
of the region, in accordance with EU and national legislation. 

Secondly,  efforts  as  regards  the  investigation  of  facilitators  like  travel  agencies, 
transport companies etc. need to be intensified.  

Thirdly,  efforts  to  strengthen  exit  controls  (in  the  Western  Balkan  countries)  and 
entry controls (at EU borders) should be further enhanced. In this context, the EU 
Member States which have a direct responsibility for managing EU external borders 
should  continue  to  give  particular  attention  to  the  phenomenon,  in  line  with  the 
Schengen  acquis  and  in  close  collaboration  with  Western  Balkan  countries,  EU 
Member States of destination and FRONTEX.  

Moreover,  continuous,  targeted  information  awareness  campaigns  shall  be 
intensified aiming to clarify the  rights and obligations  of visa-free travel, including 
information on rules for access to the EU labour market and liability for any abuse of 
rights under the visa-free regime.  

Assistance  to  minority  populations,  in  particular  Roma  communities,  should  be 
substantially  increased  and  more  targeted  in  the  countries  of  origin.  Particular 
attention should be given to increase the level of school enrolment of Roma children, 
as  well  as  the  employment  rate.  This  should  include  implementation  of  national 
strategies and assistance by the authorities of the countries concerned, supported by 
available EU assistance and bilateral assistance of Member States. The Commission 
is  ready  to  put  additional  emphasis  on  further  strengthening  assistance  provided 
under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), including TAIEX. 

EN 

15 

   EN