EU visa price hike sparks protests

Moves to hike the price of an EU visa by 58 per cent have sparked protests from central, eastern and Balkans European countries.

Justice ministers discuss the hefty price rise following a request from the French government and higher administrative costs.

Ironically, the Luxembourg council of ministers is also discussing closer border cooperation with Balkan countries.

Ministers are also expected to reach agreement on the steep rise in the price of visa fees – from €35 to €60.

The current cost is not regarded as sufficient to cover new visa technology such as biometrics and EU identity databases.

European justice commissioner Franco Frattini argues that while it is acceptable to recoup costs, increases should be proportionate.

“I can not accept indiscriminate rises for visas,” he said on Wednesday.

But proposals to hike the price have been criticised by the Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS).

PASOS, representing 26 policy think-tanks in central and eastern Europe and central Asia, is concerned at the impact on citizens.

“Higher visa fees would make no difference to human trafficking and cross-border criminal activity but would hit hard ordinary citizens on average incomes in the Western Balkans, and in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova - countries that the European Neighbourhood Policy explicitly seeks to engage in closer co-operation.”

“The impact of higher visa fees on cross-border trade and family ties would be devastating, not least to ordinary citizens: €60 amounts to one-third of the average monthly net wages in Serbia and Montenegro, or half the average monthly wage in Ukraine,” said a statement.

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