The European Union is to allow residents of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro to travel to the European Union without visas. However, restrictions on visitors from Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina will remain in force.

The ruling was issued by the foreign ministers of the 27 member states of the EU and will go into effect on 19 December. All five Balkan countries are hoping to join the EU.

Before the restriction was lifted, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro were required to meet benchmarks for border controls and passport security, as well as for fighting corruption and organized crime. Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina have yet to meet all the conditions. The European Commission is expected to review their progress next year.

Map of the Balkans from Wikimedia Commons.