The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the European Commission to suspend the visa waiver for US nationals for 12 months for lack of progress towards full visa reciprocity between EU member states and the United States
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2020) The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the European Commission to suspend the visa waiver for US nationals for 12 months for lack of progress towards full visa reciprocity between EU member states and the United States.
"With 376 votes to 269 and 43 abstentions, the Chamber adopted on Thursday a resolution urging the Commission to present a legal act suspending the visa waiver for US nationals for twelve months, as established in the so-called reciprocity mechanism," the European Parliament said in a press release.
The European lawmakers pointed to the discrimination faced by nationals of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania � they are still required to obtain a visa to enter the US, while all other EU citizens are exempt from that requirement for short-stays of up to 90 days. US nationals are also exempt from visa requirements for visiting the EU.
"According to EU legislation, if a third country does not lift visa requirements within 24 months of being formally notified of a situation of non-reciprocity, the EU Commission must adopt a legal act suspending the visa waiver for its nationals for 12 months. Both the European Parliament and Council could object to such an act," the press release read.
According to the European Parliament, the situation of non-reciprocity affecting the four EU nations was formally raised on April 12, 2014, and thus the deadline for the European Commission to present a legal act expired on April 12, 2016.
