92002E3291

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3291/02

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(20 November 2002)

Subject: US visa requirements for Greek citizens

Nationals of all EU Member States apart from Greece are entitled to travel to the US without a visa. In reply to my question H-0428/99(1), the Council indicated that the US Attorney General had approved the inclusion of Greece in the Visa Waiver Pilot Programme which currently includes all other EU Member States and that meetings with Greece at expert level are now being held for this purpose.

In view of developments regarding the November 17 organisation whose activities in Greece were the principle reason for the US decision to impose visa requirements on Greece alone among the EU Member States:

1. Can the Commission say what progress has been made by at the meetings of experts?

2. In view of the above developments, is it in a position to make direct representations to the US authorities with a view to ending discrimination against a European Union Member State?

(1) Oral reply of 15.9.1999.

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(20 December 2002)

The Commission is aware that reciprocity with regard to visas raises a number of issues, including the one referred to by the Honourable Member.

In the proposal amending Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001(1) which it adopted on 28 November 2002(2), the Commission states that it intends to examine in depth the purpose and scope of the principle of reciprocity where visa policy is concerned and that it plans to present a report to Parliament and the Council by 30 June 2003.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, OJ L 81, 21.3.2001.

(2) COM(2002) 679 final.