The European Commission wants citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia to be able to travel to European Union countries without a visa.
Although the EC wants the new ruling to go into force by 1 January 2010, it is now up to the European Parliament and the 27 member states of the EU to vote on the issue.
Residents of Bosnia and Albania should also be able to travel without a visa, but both countries may not be in a position to fulfil the requirements for such travel by 1 January.
This has led to fierce resistance in the European parliament.
The Greens say it is hypocritical and ridiculous that the inhabitants of the former Yugoslavia will not all receive the right to travel without a visa at the same time. It added that such a move would only increase the ethnic rivalries between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims.
Photo of Euroepan Commission by Richard Parmiter (flickr)
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