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US to negotiate visa deals with Europe on a nation-by-nation basis

13 March 2008 16:48 (UTC +04:00)

The row over deals to allow visa-free US travel has caused consternation in Brussels, where the Commission traditionally negotiates on behalf of the entire European Union membership.
"We do make this determination on a nation-by-nation basis. We have to measure not only intent (of each particular state), but actual accomplishment," Chertoff told a news conference in Slovenia.
The issue has seriously undermined the bargaining powers of the Commission, which is guardian of the EU treaties and has jurisdiction in visa reciprocity.
Without the waiver, currently only enjoyed by 15 EU member states, citizens from Greece and 11 of the 12 newest states -- Slovenia is the exception -- are obliged to have visas, even for a short stay, when they arrive on US soil.
The US would work together with the European Commission on the preliminary work for signing the visa-free programmes with all EU member states, Chertoff said, following a meeting with EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini.
"But that does not conclude the issue," he said.
"At the end, the standards have to be met. Some states are very close to meeting them, and may very well meet them before the end of the year, but I canâ€™t guarantee you that every state will," Chertoff said.
And he added: "We will begin to see new visa waiver travellers perhaps as early as the end of this year for one or two countries, and I think that is good news."
A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting called for a "twin track approach" to the US visa-waiver programme.
"Those matters that fall within national responsibilities will be discussed with national authorities, while those that fall within EU responsibility will be discussed with EU authorities," the statement said.
"What is possible to negotiate at national level, it will be negotiated in full respect of EU legislation, but when a given field falls under EU responsibility, our American friends accepted to have talks with EU institutions," Frattini said, speaking in English.
Prior to the meeting, Frattini had said he would push for intensive talks so that an agreement could be reached at Juneâ€™s EU-US summit, paving the way for the introduction of a visa-waiver programme for all EU member states "before October."
Frattini pointed out that individual countries could sign agreements concerning their national data, but not for common EU information, which falls under the jurisdiction of Brussels.
The joint statement also said the US and the EU would share further details on the implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which Brussels hopes will enable visa-free travel between the regions.
"These discussions are to be completed by June 2008. ESTA will be applied consistently to all EU member states and will be coordinated with the EUâ€™s future system," the statement said.
The meeting between Chertoff and Frattini was held at Brdo Pri Kranju castle, just outside Ljubljana, a day after the US official signed visa waiver deals with Estonia and Latvia.
Slovenia currently holds the EUâ€™s revolving presidency.
The current rush of deal-making follows an initial deal by the Czech Republic with Washington last month after Prague apparently tired of the slow pace of negotiations led by the Commission, the EUâ€™s executive branch.
Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary are also ready to sign memorandums of understanding, which are part of the process of joining the US visa waiver programme but which do not alone guarantee entry to the scheme.