US, Canadian citizens may need visas for Europe
Print Edition
THE European Commission is considering whether to make US and Canadian citizens apply for visas before traveling to the bloc, a move that could raise tensions as Brussels negotiates a trade pact with Washington.
Only Britain and Ireland have opt-outs from the 28-nation EU’s common visa policy and its executive must decide by April 12 whether to demand visas from countries who have similar requirements in place for one or more EU state.
Washington and Ottawa both demand visas from Romanians and Bulgarians, whose states joined the EU in 2007. The United States also excludes Croatians, Cypriots and Poles from a visa waiver scheme offered to other EU citizens.
“A political debate and decision is obviously needed on such an important issue. But there is a real risk that the EU would move toward visas for the two (Americans and Canadians),” according to an EU source.
Whether such a step is practical, however, is in question given that it would seriously undermine the EU’s tourist industry. The US and Canadian missions to Brussels were not immediately available for comment.
The discussion, prompted by US and Canadian refusals to waive visa requirements for holders of some EU member states’ passports, will take place next Tuesday, just over a week before US President Barack Obama arrives in Europe.
Trade negotiations between Brussels and Washington are at a crucial stage since both believe their transatlantic agreement, known as TTIP, stands a better chance of passing before Obama leaves the White House in January.
Obama is due to visit Britain before meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hanover on April 24.
“There are major question marks over TTIP, no one could now say exactly how it’ll go in the end. We’ll see if we can get Obama in Hanover to commit to more of what we want,” said one European Parliament member.
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