Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-23-Speech-3-040"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080423.3.3-040"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, I warmly welcome the initiative taken by the Council and by the Commission, whereby clear and transparent framework principles will be established concerning bilateral agreements on visa-free travel between Member States of the Union and the United States.
At the start of this year, certain impatient Member Sates began negotiating with the United States independently, without the Union’s agreement. Other countries chose to wait for principles to be regulated within the framework of the Union, as they understood that they would be in a stronger position if they could count on the backing of the entire European Union. A strong message has been sent to the United States today, making it clear that pressure must not be put on individual Member States to infringe Community principles. This also applies to sensitive issues outside the remit of Union arrangements, such as the publication of data on passenger movements. What is significant is that it is now possible for individual Member States to negotiate separately with the United States. These are the very countries that are most motivated to secure visa-free travel for their citizens. These countries must, however, keep in mind the position worked out together and based on the principle of reciprocity, and also the requirement to keep the Commission informed of the progress of negotiations.
Essentially, the ball is now in the United States’ court. I call on the United States to carefully consider the criteria on the basis of which visas are granted to citizens from the eastern part of the European Union. Is it really the case that a large proportion of the latter are potential illegal immigrants who will not leave the United States upon expiry of their visa? That is actually the reason why the vast majority of visa applications are refused, not the potential threat to security. After all, Eastern Europe is hardly a spawning ground for fundamentalist Islamic terrorist groups. In the past, citizens of Eastern Europe were tempted to reside in the United States illegally for financial reasons. The situation has now changed dramatically. Eastern Europeans have been able to work legally in the old Europe from the time of accession to the Union. They can work there without breaking the law and without fear of the immigration services.
In view of these changes, the United States’ negative attitude is increasingly difficult for those citizens to understand. The stance adopted by the United States is also detrimental to its image. That is why it is also in the interest of the United States to draw negotiations to a close quickly and ensure that the visa requirement for Union citizens is consigned to history."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples