EU push to widen US visa waiver

Access to passenger data remains a contentious issue

EU interior ministers have agreed to give the European Commission the green light to negotiate terms for visa-free travel to the US for all EU states.

EU officials have been unhappy about deals being done individually, as has already happened in some cases.

Most older 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.