EC lobbies for extension of US Visa Waiver Program
December 29 2008 by Gareth McConnell
The European Commission says it is looking forward to the five remaining European Union member states being included in the USA Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
The VWP issue has been a continuing one between Europe and the US immigration and has been prolonged due to security concerns raised in Congress. However, moves have been made to speed up the acceptance process in light of the end of the Bush Administration.
This latest EC statement followed the announcement that Malta had been accepted into the program after meeting several strict entry requirements.
Jacques Barrot, the EC’s vice president, says the Commission will continue working with the US immigration officials to ensure that all EU citizens are granted entry to the VWP. Poland, Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania are still awaiting acceptance into the program.
Barrot used the announcement about Malta to further lobby for the extension of the program across all EU member states: “I am very happy the Maltese deal has been secured before the end of the year...It is a significant step further on the path to full visa-free reciprocity between the EU and the US. The close ties between the two countries will be further strengthened... I congratulate the US authorities for this decision."
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