Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-22-Speech-4-853"
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"en.20080522.24.4-853"2
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"I support the European Parliament resolution concerning visa negotiations with the USA. These should be on behalf of all EU Members. The US government and the governments of those countries that have already embarked on bilateral negotiations should take into account the position of the EU and its competence to sign treaties.
What is needed are clear guidelines for bilateral discussions about travel to the United States without visas, but there are issues that are in the EU’s power. What is required here is mutuality. Unfortunately, as regards Poland, which unilaterally removed visa requirements for US citizens as long ago as 15 April 1991, the asymmetry is glaring. I am not convinced by the argument that this is due to the rather high level of refusals to grant visas.
In my opinion these refusals are often the result of arbitrary decisions taken by officials in the American consular service who assume – often it is not clear on what basis – that someone would illegally extend their visit to the USA. Such assumptions are hardly objective and sometimes simply insulting. Also, the exchange rate of the dollar against the zloty no longer supports the argument about illegal work. Today what is important to people are tourist visits, business trips and visits to friends and family. I believe that the United States also lose out with this policy, closing their frontiers to their allies but letting in potential terrorists. How can you develop transatlantic cooperation if there is no trust in your allies? This is not just a rhetorical question. Many of my constituents have mentioned this issue."@en1
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