Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Malta asks for EU action on Brazil visa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Malta has officially asked the EU to put pressure on Brazil over its failure to lift visa requirements for Maltese citizens.
At a recent meeting of EU foreign ministers, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Cyprus asked the EU Presidency to raise the issue directly with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a summit to be held in Stockholm in October.
Malta removed the visa requirement for Brazilians following EU accession but Brazil has not reciprocated, citing "legal technicalities" for not coming in line with an agreement it has with the EU.
Under the agreement, EU citizens do not require a visa to visit Brazil but this is being applied to all EU citizens except those from Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Cyprus.
According to the Brazilian government, this is only a technical legal hitch which needs to be settled through new legislation passed through the Brazilian Parliament.
Malta has told the EU that Brazil should either make the necessary changes or face EU retaliatory measures, as more than five years have passed since accession.
"We think that enough time has now passed for Brazil to come in line with the agreement," a senior government official told The Times.
"If this issue is not settled then (by the next summit), the EU, on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, will have to start requiring a visa from all Brazilian citizens entering the EU until the issue is resolved."
A few years ago Malta had the same problem with the US, which was still imposing a visa requirement on Maltese citizens despite their newly acquired EU citizenship status. Following lengthy talks between Malta and the EU and the US authorities, Malta was earlier this year admitted into the US Visa Waiver Programme.
This means that all Maltese travellers can enter the US without a visa.
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Galea. L
Sep 24th 2009, 10:45
Are you yourself now suggesting that Gonzi does not know what he's doing because otherwise why would the Gonzipn Government ask the eu to do something about it?
Do you want us to be second class citizens because other eu member countries citizens do not need a visa to go to Brazil?
Even if no Brazilians and no Maltese were going to each other's country there is the principle of reciprocity that must be upheld. We have nothing less than other eu countries citizens.
Kapixx Martinelli?
Christian Sciberras
Sep 24th 2009, 09:21
@Charles Sammut
What do you suggest?
Avoiding a problem doesn't fix it.
Joe Xuereb
Sep 23rd 2009, 20:35
@ Galea L
When are you going to learn that the stick and carrot diplomacy are things of the past.
On a personal note, I would like to thank Simon Busuttil, as he was the only one of the former Maltese MEPs' at the last EU Parliament that responded to my inquiry on this issue; and actually brought the subject up at the EU parliament.
@ Charles Sammut
Last I read was that Gonzi and his predecessor foisted over a Billion Euros' on US.
Charles Sammut
Sep 23rd 2009, 16:09
Does anyone believe that the EU will start requiring entry visas for Brazilians just because Brazil will not remove the requirement for visas for Maltese citizens? Dream on.
Dr Gonzi should save us some money and stop going to EU summits where he is studiously ignored and avoided by all. It is embarrassing to see. "Watch out, here comes Gonzi trying to foist 80 Africans on us."
J Martinelli
Sep 23rd 2009, 14:25
@ Galea L
why do you not ask yourself: 'How many Brazilians come to Malta each year?' and 'How many Brazilians visit all 27 EU members each year?' Kapixx?
Galea. L
Sep 23rd 2009, 13:59
What is stopping the Government from making a visa necessary for Brazilians to visit Malta and only remove the requirement when the Brazilians remove theirs?
Oh I forget. We have a spineless government.