European Parliament votes to end visa-free travel for Americans

[EC]

Sticking this in National rather than World for it's effects.

The European Parliament has voted to end visa-free travel for Americans within the EU.

It comes after the US failed to agree visa-free travel for citizens of five EU countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania – as part of a reciprocity agreement. US citizens can normally travel to all countries in the bloc without a visa.

The vote urges the revocation of the scheme within two months, meaning Americans will have to apply for extra documents for 12 months after the European Commission implements a “delegated act” to bring the change into effect.

The Commission discovered three years ago that the US was not meeting its obligations under the reciprocity agreement but has not yet taken any legal action. The latest vote, prepared by the civil liberties committee and approved by a plenary session of parliament, gives the Commission two months to act before MEPs can consider action in the European Court of Justice.

Australia, Brunei, Japan and Canada were also failing in their obligations, but all four have lifted, or are soon to lift, any visa restrictions on travel for EU citizens.

More: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/europe-visa-free-travel-americans-european-parliament-vote-a7609406.html

[catfish1957]

Good.  Tourism is about the only thing keeping about half of the EU members afloat now days.

Hope they enjoy eating that goose that has metallic flavoring

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Talk about digging one's own grave.

Imagine: forcing a country loaded with money whose citizens do no harm to subject themselves to scrutiny for a short-term visit vs allowing a degenerate wave of TB-loaded, uneducated penniless Europe haters in freely and permanently.

The insane are runningg the asylum.

[goatprairie]

Talk about digging one's own grave.

Imagine: forcing a country loaded with money whose citizens do no harm to subject themselves to scrutiny for a short-term visit vs allowing a degenerate wave of TB-loaded, uneducated penniless Europe haters in freely and permanently.

The insane are runningg the asylum.

Yes indeed, I'll bet many hotel owners etc. of not so well-heeled European countries who rely on filthy Yankee tourist dollars to exist are less than thrilled to hear this news.  Yes, say their elected and non-elected leaders, let's teach the evil Americans a lesson by making many of our own people go out of business for lack of American tourist dollars.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

This will just hurt both sides, IMO. Let's not pretend it's entirely one-sided.

[Doug Loss]

This will just hurt both sides, IMO. Let's not pretend it's entirely one-sided.

Oh bull.  I've done a fair amount of international traveling, and it's been decades since I've been either interested or obligated to go to Europe at all.  Frankly, there are much more interesting places to visit.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Oh bull.  I've done a fair amount of international traveling, and it's been decades since I've been either interested or obligated to go to Europe at all.  Frankly, there are much more interesting places to visit.

 

[catfish1957]

This will just hurt both sides, IMO. Let's not pretend it's entirely one-sided.

Honestly, how often to you see a European tourist? 

Now if we kept out the orient, then it wouldn't be one-sided.

[thackney]

This will just hurt both sides, IMO. Let's not pretend it's entirely one-sided.

the US failed to agree visa-free travel for citizens of five EU countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania

The policy for those 5 countries requiring a visa has been that way for years.  Why would keeping the policy hurt us now?

[EC]

The policy for those 5 countries requiring a visa has been that way for years.  Why would keeping the policy hurt us now?

They were supposed to be treated the same way as the core EU nations. 

[thackney]

They were supposed to be treated the same way as the core EU nations. 

I understand that.  But this policy has been in place for years.  How has it been hurting us, and why is this expected to now change?

[EC]

I understand that.  But this policy has been in place for years.  How has it been hurting us, and why is this expected to now change?

Not been hurting the US at all. Been hurting Bulgaria etc some though, they probably started bitching again (it came up a couple years ago as well). As far as the Euroweenies are concerned,  requiring visas from those EU states and not others is a bit like the EU requiring visas from residents of South Carolina and Montana but saying the rest of the USA don't need visas.

Not that I care much - it's Europe and they're not the UK's problem any more. 

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I understand that.  But this policy has been in place for years.  How has it been hurting us, and why is this expected to now change?

It wasn't hurting the U.S. when it was only a few backwater nations to whom we weren't giving reciprocity.  But if the EU actually follows through with this, then it will be all of Europe to which we cannot travel without a visa.  It's a different situation. 

That being said, the absolute smartest thing we could do is not retaliate.  Let Euros from all the rest of the EU continue to come here without visas.  That means more business meetings will be conducted here because we won't be able to travel there as easily, we'll get the same amount of tourists here but fewer Americans spending their money in Europe, etc..  I suppose the Brits may be big winners as well.

The Euros are just incredibly short-sighted.

[thackney]

It wasn't hurting the U.S. when it was only a few backwater nations to whom we weren't giving reciprocity.  But if the EU actually follows through with this, then it will be all of Europe to which we cannot travel without a visa.  It's a different situation. 

That being said, the absolute smartest thing we could do is not retaliate.  Let Euros from all the rest of the EU continue to come here without visas.  That means more business meetings will be conducted here because we won't be able to travel there as easily, we'll get the same amount of tourists here but fewer Americans spending their money in Europe, etc..  I suppose the Brits may be big winners as well.

The Euros are just incredibly short-sighted.

Exactly.  If EU followed through with this threat, and the US continued with the same policy, I see a benefit to the US, not a penalty.

Not to mention more likely increase in American's choosing non-EU destinations for last minute travel plans.  It would likely help more domestic travel.

[ABX]

I hope this is resolved before my August trip. I would hate to be in limbo when it becomes official.

[ABX]

This will just hurt both sides, IMO. Let's not pretend it's entirely one-sided.

You are absolutely correct. US Tourism from the EU (and vice versa) is a multiple trillion dollar industry. Not only in large part due to cultural familiarity, but because travel is so easy between the two.

[truth_seeker]

#1 tourist destination is the US is Orlando, FL

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-most-visited-cities-in-the-us.html

[r9etb]

Oh bull.  I've done a fair amount of international traveling, and it's been decades since I've been either interested or obligated to go to Europe at all.  Frankly, there are much more interesting places to visit.

Because if it doesn't affect you, it doesn't affect anybody.   

[r9etb]

That being said, the absolute smartest thing we could do is not retaliate.

Quite right.   Unfortunately, come the tweet-storm....

The Euros are just incredibly short-sighted.

I could be wrong, but I think this is them giving Trump his "just desserts" for the so-called travel ban EO.  Short-sighted, petty, silly, stupid.... all those terms fit this action pretty well.

[EC]

Short-sighted, petty, silly, stupid.... .

We normally shorten that to Brussells.

[LateForLunch]

Quite right.   Unfortunately, come the tweet-storm....

I could be wrong, but I think this is them giving Trump his "just desserts" for the so-called travel ban EO.  Short-sighted, petty, silly, stupid.... all those terms fit this action pretty well.

So enacting prudent restrictions on immigration from nations with a history of being hubs for terrorists seems silly, stupid, petty, etc. to you? See, all of those nations are often stamped on passports of terrorists trying to enter Western nations because they know that entry through other more obvious Middle Eastern nations-of-origin would automatically subject them to intense, unwanted scrutiny. Clearly you have not studied the issue before erupting in knee-jerk, anti-Trump hyperbole.

Israel is the template for how to vet people entering the country. Their methods include all of the one's DJT employs combined with a truly rigorous "profiling" process which sadly would not pass muster with countless leftist and Constitutional nit-pickers in this country, who are infinitely more concerned about technicalities related to appearances of impropriety (unfair discrimination) than about protecting innocent lives from foreign homicidal lunatics.

If these monstrous vermin were coming here with the expressed purpose of killing you or those you care about, I assure you that you would feel differently. Just as if they were coming with the specific purpose and capability of killing political figures, we would hear none of this picayune nonsense about how "silly or unnecessary" the conditions/restrictions are from Democrat officials. They would be demanding EVEN MORE!!!

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I hope this is resolved before my August trip. I would hate to be in limbo when it becomes official.

You wouldn't be in limbo... you'd just need your passport stamped at every country, correct?

[ABX]

You wouldn't be in limbo... you'd just need your passport stamped at every country, correct?

It is going to depend on how they go. If it is like some places I've been in SE Asia, you have to apply to get approved for tourist visa (usually a quick process but should be done ahead of time). If they require a visa application process, it could get dicey.

For example, in Romania right now, US citizens don't have to apply for a visa, just have a valid passport.
https://romania.visahq.com/

But, for a citizen of Oman for example (I just randomly chose a different country), the process is rather complicated including contacting the local embassy, completing application process, waiting for approval, etc.
https://romania.visahq.com/requirements/Oman/

Business visas are usually even more complicated.

[thackney]

You wouldn't be in limbo... you'd just need your passport stamped at every country, correct?

No.  Requiring a travel visa is not the same as having your passport stamped.

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/differences-between-visa-passport-110570.html

[geronl]

Shouldn't that be up to member nations?