The European Parliament resolution calling on the European Commission to suspend visa waiver exemptions for US citizens entering the EU is causing the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) concern (see EUROPE 11738).
This parliamentary solution follows the US decision in 2014 to impose visa requirements on Bulgarian, Croatian, Cypriot, Polish and Romanian citizens. It undermines the principle of reciprocal treatment for European travelling to the US and US citizens entering the EU because the latter are not subject to European Union visa requirements.
Speaking on behalf of the ETOA, Tom Jenkins explained that reintroducing visa requirements for US citizens would be counter-productive and make the European Union vulnerable to possible US economic retaliation. Mr Jenkins also argued that this suspension would be difficult to manage at an administrative level.
For these reasons, Mr Jenkins considers that the Council of the EU should reject this parliamentary request. The Commission should then work towards re-establishing reciprocity by way of “normal diplomatic channels”.
The ETOA is particularly active in its work to reduce these requirements, which are perceived as barriers to the development of international tourism. It believes that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a new “pre-clearance system” for travellers entering the EU (see EUROPE 11669), should help to improve the case for visa waivers. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)