Debate: Obligations of the Commission in the field of visa reciprocity in accordance with Article of Regulation  /
Date: MONDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2020
Speaker: Ylva Johansson
Language: EN

With the United States, we remain engaged in a result-oriented diplomatic process towards full visa reciprocity, in close coordination with the Member States concerned. Our communication on visa reciprocity of March 2020 details our engagement with the United States and shows we’ve consistently placed the issue high on the agenda. That communication also reported significant progress. In November last year, Poland entered the US visa waiver programme. Our approach is working. It has worked with other countries such as Canada, where full visa reciprocity for all EU citizens has already been achieved, and it is now showing results with the United States as well. Working on the result—oriented process, the four other Member States concerned have made continued progress. The United States is providing concrete guidance. The Member States have a clear perspective of joining the US visa waiver programme once they meet the outstanding requirements. These are not arbitrary but set out in US law. The Commission actively supports and works closely with these Member States to help them to fulfil all benchmarks and requirements. All four Member States have concrete prospects of progress; some appear to be very close to fulfilling the requirements and to being considered for entry to the US visa waiver programme. All four Member States want to continue this approach. This is important. None of them has asked the Commission to temporarily suspend visa-free travel for US citizens. They have all agreed to continue dialogue and to work on the benchmarks. Temporarily suspending the visa waiver for US citizens would be counter-productive. It would undermine the progress achieved in our current work. Suspending visa-free travel for US citizens would inevitably lead the United States to impose visa requirements for all EU citizens. This is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. It would be difficult to explain to EU citizens how this were in their interest, especially when diplomatic engagement has brought positive results. I should also say that, with the global COVID-19 pandemic, maybe this is not the time to escalate. At the moment, COVID-19 travel restrictions are in force on both sides of the Atlantic. Non-essential travel is simply not taking place, visa-free or not.  Despite COVID-19, the Commission continues to work with the United States and the Member States concerned to accelerate progress on visas. We discussed visas at the most recent EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting in May this year, and at the meeting between the United States, the Commission and the Member States concerned on 18 and 19 June of this year. Our continued engagement in difficult times shows how important this issue is to the Commission.  Finally, I turn to the legal aspect raised in your question. The visa reciprocity mechanism, as set out in the visa regulation, requires the adoption of a delegated act suspending the visa waiver for nationals of the third country concerned for 12 months. According to the legislation, we must also take into account the possible consequences for the external relations of the EU and its Member States and for all European citizens. On the one hand, there is the progress achieved so far, notably Poland achieving visa-free access last year and the continued progress made by the other Member States concerned. On the other hand, the expected negative effects of visa suspension for our external relations and visa reciprocity. My assessment is that as long as we see continuing progress through engagement with the United States, full visa reciprocity for all EU nationals can be best achieved through continued diplomatic cooperation. We will of course continue to keep you informed. I know that we all share the same objective: full visa waiver reciprocity. I’m confident that the remaining Member States will join the US visa waiver programme and I call on you to give this approach another chance.