BELGIUM:EU MEMBER states yesterday agreed to let the European Commission negotiate visa-free travel to the US for all 27 member states, giving Brussels a chance to put a lid on the piecemeal, bilateral talks between individual states and the US that have taken place so far.
The green light means the commission can tackle the central question of data protection amid concerns that unilateral visa deals with Washington could result in too much information being given to US authorities in return for the politically rewarding prize of belonging to its visa-waiver programme.
"We agreed that our common goal is to ensure that all member states are admitted in the visa waiver programme as soon as possible," European Commission vice-president Jacques Barrot said following the meeting of justice ministers in Luxembourg.
At present, citizens from 15 member states, including Ireland, do not require visas to enter the US, but those from most central and eastern member states do - long a political sore point for their governments which consider themselves to be loyal American allies.
Frustrated at the slow pace of EU talks on the issue, the Czech Republic, followed by six other countries, recently broke ranks to begin talks on bilateral deals with the US.
The commission was stung into action by what it saw as Washington's divide-and-rule strategy. It feared the US would ask for more data on EU citizens than is allowed under European law.
Its mandate to negotiate on behalf of the bloc means it can explore exactly what Washington is demanding in return for allowing all EU citizens to travel to the US for three months without a visa.
"We are prepared to sit down with our American friends and discuss on a strictly reciprocal basis what information may be needed to be shared to include our member states in the visa waiver system," said Jonathan Faull, the commission's justice and home affairs director.
Member states will still be able to conduct bilateral negotiations on issues that are not part of the EU's competences, such as whether to allow American sky marshals on flights.
Any deal reached between Brussels and Washington will not affect Ireland which does not participate in the EU common visa policy.
Yesterday's agreement allows Brussels to look into Washington's planned "electronic system for travel authorisation" - something that will have to be filled out by travellers flying to the US regardless of whether or not they are entitled to visa-free travel.
The commission wants to know whether this is essentially a visa in disguise and has suggested reciprocal EU measures if that is the case. For its part, Washington has reassured the EU that it will simply be an electronic version of the form that passengers already have to fill out before landing in the country.