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By Gabriela Baczynska
BRUSSELS, April 7 (Reuters) - The European Union executive
is considering whether to make U.S. and Canadian citizens apply
for visas before travelling to the bloc, a move that could raise
tensions as Brussels negotiates a trade pact with Washington.
Only Britain and Ireland have opt-outs from the 28-nation
EU's common visa policy and the European Commission must decide
by April 12 whether to demand visas from countries who have
similar requirements in place for one or more EU state.
Washington and Ottawa both demand entry visas from Romanians
and Bulgarians, whose states joined the EU in 2007. The United
States also excludes Croatians, Cypriots and Poles from a visa
waiver scheme offered to other EU citizens.
"A political debate and decision is obviously needed on such
an important issue. But there is a real risk that the EU would
move towards visas for the two (Americans and Canadians)," an EU
source said.
Whether such a step was practical, however, was in question
given that it would seriously undermine the EU's vast and
lucrative tourist industry. The U.S. and Canadian missions to
Brussels were not immediately available for comment.
The discussion, prompted by U.S. and Canadian refusals to
waive their visa requirements for holders of some EU member
states' passports, will take place on Tuesday, just over a week
before U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Europe on a visit
that will include trade talks.
Trade negotiations between Brussels and Washington are at a
crucial point since both sides believe their transatlantic
agreement, known as TTIP, stands a better chance of passing
before Obama leaves the White House in January.
Obama is due to visit Britain before meeting German
Chancellor Angela Merkel at a trade fair in Hanover on April 24.
"There are major question marks over TTIP, no one could now
say exactly how it'll go in the end. We'll see if we can get
Obama in Hanover to commit to more of what we want," said one
European Parliament member tracking TTIP.
(Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Mark Heinrich)