New Nation USVisa waived

US visa waiver

Access to passenger data remains a contentious issue

United States is to cancel visa requirements for citizens of 7 European countries and South Korea.

1. Latvia,
   
2. Estonia,
   
3. Hungary,
   
4. the Czech Republic,
   
5. Lithuania,
   
6. Slovakia and
   
7. South Korea
   

would be added to the US visa waiver programme in a month.

The countries already allow US citizens to visit without requiring a visa.

Access to personal data was a key consideration. Since the 2001 terror attacks the US has tightened its rules.

The US requires that members to its scheme issue their nationals with tamper-proof biometric passports, which are difficult to forge.

The waiver programme was initiated in 1986 "with the objective of eliminating unnecessary barriers to travel, stimulating the tourism industry," according to the State Department website.

The visa waiver programme has been under fire from some US lawmakers, who are concerned that militants who are citizens of the participating countries can obtain entry too easily.


Waived Before

Most EU states are already in the US visa waiver scheme, but Greece and most of the 12 newer members are not.

Access to personal data is a key issue in the talks. Since the 2001 terror attacks the US has tightened the rules.

VISA-FREE TRAVEL TO US Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK

The ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Friday, want the Commission to address concerns that US security demands could contravene EU laws on data protection.

Washington wants access to passenger data and to the database used by EU countries in the Schengen zone of border-free travel.

Only 15 EU states are covered by the current visa-waiver scheme. They are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Citizens from Greece and 11 of the 12 newest EU states - Slovenia is the exception - need visas for travel to the US.


UN Security Council

The new rotating seats were won by

1. Turkey,
   
2. Austria,
   
3. Japan,
   
4. Mexico and
   
5. Uganda
   

after a vote by the 192-member General Assembly.

Representatives from those countries will replace

1. Belgium,
   
2. Indonesia,
   
3. Italy,
   
4. Panama and
   
5. South Africa
   

in January.

Ten of the 15-member council's seats are filled for two-year terms.

The other five are occupied by permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.