Brussels, 26/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is to plead for the new Member States to benefit from the American visa waiver programme once their borders with the old Member States are lifted, which will probably take place in late 2006. "Full membership of Schengen will provide the occasion to see (...) that these countries fulfil our requirements to the extent that we are prepared to open our borders to them", said the Director General of Justice and Home Affairs, Jonathan Faull, who feels that this could "be useful" to the US. Of the ten accession countries, only Slovenia benefits from the visa waiver; only Greece of the Fifteen is excluded. The EU already supports the extension of the programme to all, but this is to "make the US more aware" pending accession to Schengen, said European diplomats. The European Commission will soon propose that the solidarity clause, which links the European countries, be made more flexible, in a request for reciprocity in visa issues. During Justice and Home Affairs Councils, the Czech Republic has repeatedly called for the support of the other Member States, said a European source.