In a resolution adopted on Thursday 2 March, the European Parliament called on the Commission to respect its legal obligations and introduce measures for the temporary reintroduction of visa obligations for US citizens, in response to Washington’s refusal to wave visa requirements to its territory for nationals from five EU countries. The resolution is not, however, binding.
The text was adopted by a show of hands and gives the Commission two months to implement the resolution. Citizens from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania can still not enter US territory without a visa, despite the fact that US citizens can travel throughout the EU without a visa.
According to the visa reciprocity mechanism, if a third country does not lift these obligations within a 24 month deadline, they are notified of non—reciprocity and the European Commission is obliged to adopt a delegated act, which both Parliament and the Council can oppose, in order to suspend the visa waiver for citizens from this country for a 12 month period.
Following notification of non-reciprocity on 12 April 2014, it was noted the Commission should have responded before 12 April 2016 but so far it has not taken any legal measures in this regard. Canada also imposes a visa requirement on Bulgarian and Romanian citizens but has announced that this will be lifted on 1 December 2017 as part of CETA.
In April 2016, the Commission explained that it would take note of Parliament's and Council's opinion but explained that the reintroduction of such measures could have too much of an economic impact. The Commission has been sticking to its line since then. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)