Busuttil presses Brussels to act on US travel fee

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil is urging the European Commission to act against Washington for imposing an €11 fee on all EU citizens travelling to the US.

He was acting on behalf of the European People’s Party members of the European Parliament.

Although the Commission has already come out against the fee, known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta), it is still considering whether this amounts to a form of visa.

A Commission spokesman refused to say whether Brussels would consider imposing a reciprocity fee on all US citizens travelling to the EU.

The Commission’s wait-and-see approach has been harshly criticised by the EPP, the largest political group in the EP.

Dr Busuttil, the EPP’s spokesman for justice and home affairs, said “this rip-off is not acceptable and a clear statement is expected from the Commission... The fee is unjustifiable and a burden on transatlantic relations”.

Together with EPP vice-president Manfred Weber, Dr Busuttil said his group was formally asking Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström to take action against these measures.

“We have to remind the US once again that a transatlantic cooperation can only work if both partners are on the same level,” the EPP said.

All EU citizens visiting the US, whether for business or pleasure, started paying a €11 fee as from last Wednesday. The proceeds would be used for the enhancement of the US tourism product and the running of Esta, Washington said.

The need for Maltese citizens to apply for a US visa was lifted at the end of 2008 after the island qualified to join the US Visa Waiver Programme.