16/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's Committee on Citizens' Rights and Freedoms rejected, with the adoption of a report by German Christian Democrat Klaus-Heiner Lehne, the proposal to dispense Romanian nationals from the obligation of obtaining a visa for a three-month stay in the EU only under certain conditions (mainly that Romania takes measures concerning illegal immigration, especially with a view to repatriation of its nationals staying in the EU illegally). MEPs (who will discuss this issue during the March session) felt that the difference in treatment compared to other candidate countries was not justified.