EU and US reach deal on travel security negotiations
After weeks of EU internal political wrangling, the European Commission has secured itself a seat at the negotiating table when it comes to discussing a new set of US security conditions for establishing a visa-free regime with EU member states.
At a high-level meeting between the two sides on Thursday, they agreed a so-called twin track approach meaning that matters that fall within national responsibilities will be discussed with respective EU governments, while issues that fall within EU responsibility will be discussed with Brussels.
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"We made a proper distinction between what is possible on national and on European level," EU home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini said after the ministerial meeting in Brdo, Slovenia (13 March).
He added: "When a given field falls under EU responsibility, the US has accepted to communicate with the European institutions."
Mr Frattini said he would conduct high-level discussion until June on this issue, something he said could the bloc "to introduce a visa waiver programme for all the member states before October."
Until now, the European Commission has been particularly concerned about the possible scope of data that could be handed to US security agencies under bilateral deals.
The issue became a hot topic in Brussels after the Czech Republic last month signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington, an agreement aimed at securing visa-free travel for Czech citizens to the United States.
Since then, Estonia and Latvia made similar commitments, while three other countries - Lithuania, Hungary and Slovakia - are expected to follow suit in the coming days, possibly next week.
US Secretary for Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said the bilateral agreements were "not meant to intrude on EU competencies."
But he reiterated that the visa issue in its substance is a bilateral matter due to security issues and that is why Washington works on a state-by-state approach.
Mr Chertoff also confirmed that the first visa-free travellers from countries that have signed the memorandum of understanding with Washington will become reality "at the end of this year".
The traditional visa procedure will be replaced by an electronic travel authorisation system (ETA). The system, designed to collect data electronically, is seen in Washington as necessary to determine whether there are security risks in permitting a certain citizen to travel to the US.
"We will be gathering pretty much the same information as we do now in paper form", Mr Chertoff said.