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EU-US: VISA
·
On March 14,
2008 EU and
the US
agreed on a
twin
approach in
their talks
on doing
away with
visas for
travel to
the US.
·
The US will
negotiate
with the
27-member
bloc
as a whole,
but will
also talk to
individual
countries.
·
EU officials
have been
unhappy
about deals
being done
individually,
as has
already
happened in
some cases.
·
The issue
mainly
affects
central and
eastern
European
nations.
·
The US
allows visa
waiver for
countries
that can
provide
certain
security
guarantees.
·
The
agreement
was reached
at a meeting
in Slovenia
between EU
Justice
Commissioner
Franco
Frattini and
the US
Homeland
Security
Secretary
Michael
Chertoff.
·
Matters that
fall within
national
responsibilities
will be
discussed
with
individual
states,
while issues
that are
within EU
responsibilities
will be
negotiated
with
Brussels,
the
statement
said.
·
Only 15 EU
states are
covered
by the
current
visa-waiver
scheme. They
are Austria,
Belgium,
Denmark,
Finland,
France,
Germany,
Ireland,
Italy,
Luxembourg,
Netherlands,
Portugal,
Slovenia,
Spain,
Sweden, UK.
·
Citizens
from Greece
and 11 of
the 12
newest EU
states -
Slovenia is
the
exception -
need visas
for travel
to the US.
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