Luxembourg, 06/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 June 2008, European countries expressed confidence in the US electronic travel authorisation programme ESTA but said they were awaiting the European Commission's analysis of ESTA, scheduled for July 2008. The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation means that people with the passport of countries in the EU who are eligible for the US visa waiver to travel to the EU would have to fill in an online request 72 hours before travelling (see EUROPE 9675 and 9676). I don't personally think this is a visa, said Slovenian interior minister Dragutin Mate on Thursday 5 June 2008 when he arrived at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council meeting in Luxembourg. He had changed tune by the end of the day, saying that he would await the European Commission's research to see whether or not it was a visa, but did not hide the fact that he likes the ESTA idea. He said 90% of travel requests would be answered within a few minutes and the authorisations would be valid for two years, which would be useful for people making frequent trips to the United States. The Slovenian Presidency was not the only optimistic party. German interior minister Wolfgang Schauble said it would make life easier for EU travellers. Given the principle of reciprocity between the EU and the United States in this issue, if the EU decides that ESTA does in fact amount to a visa, the EU would then have to demand that people from the United States apply for a visa to visit the EU. Another solution would be for the EU to create an ESTA of its own. The European Commission has said it will be publishing the results of a feasibility study in 2009 but the idea does not yet appear to be of interest to the member states. (B.C./transl. fl)