Visas: third countries whose nationals are subject to or exempt from a visa requirement

The Commission presents a Staff Working Document on the fulfilment of the open benchmarks by Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the framework of the Commission Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 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. It examines the progress made by these two countries in complying with all outstanding benchmarks set out in the roadmaps. The Commission services consider that Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina have taken all the necessary measures to fulfil all open benchmarks listed in the Commission Proposal of 27 May 2010 and consequently can be transferred from the negative (Annex I) to the positive (Annex II) list of Regulation 539/2001. The Commission services will continue to work with the authorities of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in these areas in the wider framework of the pre-accession process.