Germany's interior minister called in a Sunday newspaper interview for the European Union to introduce tourist entry applications similar to a US program, in a measure that would primarily affect US travelers.
Hans-Peter Friedrich told the Welt am Sonntag that in the interest of security, the EU needed a similar procedure to the one the United States has imposed on travelers from countries with which it has visa-waiver deals.
He said authorities would review before a Europe-bound traveler boards a plane "whether someone is on a wanted list", mirroring the US program Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Friedrich, from the right wing of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Union bloc, called ESTA "straightforward to manage" and said such a program should be rolled out in the EU "as soon as possible".
He said the current $14 (10-euro) fee per person would be appropriate for the EU as well.
The US ESTA program requires travelers without a visa to supply their name, date of birth, address and credit card number to US authorities online before embarking on a trip to the country.-
Note EU-Digest: Excellent idea. Presently EU citizens provide all their private and personal information to US immigration services, including the taking of fingerprints and a picture on arrival in the US, so why can't the EU do the same for US and other tourists and business travelers?
Read more: German minister calls for EU tourist entry application | The New Age Online
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