Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-25-Speech-3-309"

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"en.20090325.27.3-309"2
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". Commissioner, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Millán Mon, for his comprehensive report and for the definitive position expressed on dropping the visa regime. Four years after negotiations started on lifting visa requirements between the US and the European Union, 80 million Member State citizens still need to queue up and request an American visa in their passports. In spite of the fact that significant results have been achieved so far, the US administration refuses to take the final step and apply the reciprocity principle to the remaining five Member States, and include them in the Visa Waiver Programme. In our resolution of 22 May 2008, we called for the negotiations on the inclusion of all Member States in the Visa Waiver Programme to be completed before the European elections in June. The lack of progress on this issue until now is concerning, as well as the numerous indications in the press that there will be no real change in US policy. I would also like to highlight the visit to Washington made last week by Commissioner Barrot, where the negotiations on lifting visa restrictions continued. It is not clear yet what the specific results will be following this visit. I fear that, regardless of the efforts made by the Commission, the objectives we set will not be achieved by the end of this parliament’s mandate. However, I want to mention that unfortunately, some of the actions taken by individual Member States are rather helping our American partners not to view the European Union as a united whole. This is why I am taking the opportunity to call on all European governments to change their policy and take specific steps providing real support for the representatives of the European Commission. In addition to this, I urge all fellow Members to support the declaration which has been initiated by certain fellow Members, including myself, in favour of the United States lifting the visa regime for citizens of all European Union Member States."@en1
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