At the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 December 2025, EU ministers settled positions on speeding up returns, agreed a 2026 solidarity pool and approved a roadmap to connect the bloc's border IT systems. Here are the main outcomes.
At their annual forum in Budva, EU and Western Balkans ministers reaffirmed close cooperation on organised crime, migration and digital justice. Visa alignment, EES and ETIAS were high on the agenda.
Meeting in Budva in October 2024, EU and Western Balkan ministers reaffirmed close cooperation on justice and home affairs, from fighting trafficking to aligning visa policies and preparing for the EES and ETIAS.
The Council has adopted its first-reading position on visa-free travel for holders of Kosovo passports, moving the long-awaited exemption a step closer to reality. The European Parliament still has to sign off before the rules can take effect.
The Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators have agreed on draft rules that would let holders of Kosovo passports travel to the EU without a visa for short stays. Here is what the deal covers and when it would apply.