On Friday 3 March, the European Commission simply took note of the European Parliament resolution requesting it to take action to ensure that US citizens are again obliged to obtain visas for entering the EU, given that the US is not ensuring equal treatment for European citizens in this domain. Citizens from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania are obliged to obtain a visa when travelling to US territory.
A Commission spokesperson stated “Our assessment of the situation with the US has not changed” and promised “a report before the end of June”. The spokesperson emphasised that the Commission approach had brought “tangible results” through diplomatic channels to ensure that from December 2017 Canada would lift visa requirements for Bulgarians and Romanians as part of the negotiations of the EU/Canada trade agreement (CETA).
Although the resolution adopted by Parliament (see EUROPE 11737) is non-binding as such, several sources, including Parliament's civil liberties committee, were keen to point out that it does, nonetheless, explain that the European Parliament is providing the Commission with an ultimatum, under article 265 of the Treaty. According to this article, if the Commission fails to act, as it is obliged to do so in accordance with the mechanism on visa reciprocity, member states and other European institutions can take it to the Court of Justice of the European Union and ensure that this shortcoming is flagged up there. This Court referral, in addition to the two-month deadline set out by the Commission, could also be extended by an additional two months, according to procedures. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Solenn Paulic)