Brussels, 03/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - Justice, Security and Freedom Commissioner Franco Frattini has welcomed Ottawa's announcement on Saturday 1 March that it was immediately lifting visa requirements for nationals of Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary wishing to travel to Canada for a short stay. “This is tangible progress towards achieving full visa-free travel for all citizens of the European Union visiting Canada,” Frattini said. “We will continue working in close cooperation with the Canadian authorities to ensure the removal of visa requirements for those remaining member states,” he said in a press release on Monday 3 March. Of the 27 EU member states, 25 are now no longer subject to visa requirements for short stays in Canada, the exceptions being Bulgaria and Romania. The Canadian Immigration Ministry said that it would continue to work with the two states towards lifting visa requirements, stating that technical visits would be held to decide when this could be done. This development shows that, when the EU works together, it can achieve better results, said Frattini, taking a side swipe at countries like the Czech Republic which have elected to negotiate a bilateral agreement with the United States that will allow their citizens to travel to the US without a visa (see EUROPE 9612). (B.C.)