The European Commission has been mounting pressure on the US to remove the visa entry regime towards the EU's newcomers.

Apart from newcomer Slovenia and Greece, as part of EU-15, the countries that joined the bloc in May 2004 have still not been accepted to the US visa-free regime for tourists staying in the country for up to 90 days.

In late June the EC is expected to release a fresh report about the EU visa policy and the US, Australia and Canada. The document is to review the so-called asymmetric visa rules imposed by these countries on some EU Membes states.

Washington argues that on the matter it is holding bilateral talks with each country separately, not with the EU as a whole.

The online edition EUobserver informs that during a meeting on Tuesday the EU interior ministers suggested that the EC should include in its report "possible measures to be taken in relation to third countries with which full visa reciprocity has not been achieved".

The issue of visa reciprocity was highlighted by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso during his trip to the US, in early February, the online edition reminded.

The US visa regime is applicable also for Bulgaria and Romania, both aspiring for EU accession on 1 January 2007.

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