EU demands Canada lift visa rules on 8 countries

[CBC News]

Canada must move to lift visa requirements on new European Union member states or face possible retaliatory steps, the European Commission is expected to warn Tuesday.
In a report to be presented to EU interior ministers, the EU executive is expected to call on Canada to allow at least one more EU country to enjoy visa-free travel by the end of the year, and show tangible progress in abolishing the visa regime for the others in the first half of next year.
The report, seen by the Associated Press, will say "appropriate steps could be considered" if Canada drags its feet in changing the regime for the eight new EU members whose citizens still need visas to travel here.
It does not specify what steps the EU or its individual member states could take.
The eight countries named in the report are:
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Latvia
Lithuania
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Diplomats said the report would add political pressure on Canada, but was unlikely to lead to reciprocal visa requirements for its citizens.
The visa issue is sensitive in new EU member states such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, which feel their citizens are being denied unhindered access to Canada over unjustified immigration fears.
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Is Canada dragging its feet in lifting visa requirements on new European Union member states?


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[TOOK]

umm why do the stupid europeans just get the visa lifted? doesnt sound fair to me

 

[I think not]

Demands? :roll:

 

[Zzarchov]

Well..I say screw them, and they can feel free to ask for a Visa from us.

That is the reason we have Visa's.

 

[Trex]

I think that the gist of the issue is whether or not Canada has negotiated and signed a reciprocal
visa agreement with the EU?
I really have no idea; if we have than there you are and we are stuck with it.
You can't expect all the EU countries to allow Canadians to waltz across their borders without visa's without extending the same courtesy.
I showed up at the Polish border with Russia late at night without a visa.
Showed my Canadian passport and was across the line in about 5 minutes.
Why would the poles not expect the same in return?

 

[karrie]

So... what I'm reading into this is that the EU is trying to ensure that all of its member states are treated equally on the international stage.

Personally, I don't think that's unfair.

But, it should go both ways. If the EU takes on countries that we simply can't risk lifting visa restrictions for, then institute visa restrictions for EU countries. Fair across the board.

 

[YoungJoonKim]

I smell EU.