Europe eyes new data filing rules for U.S. travelers

When the Bush Administration announced plans to tighten border security by requiring many individual foreign travelers – mostly from Europe – to file advance information about their travel plans, critics worried Europe might retaliate. And now that may be coming to pass. The U.S. plan would apply to residents of countries that are part of the U.S. “visa waiver” program – they are not required to obtain visas to come to the U.S. because they are considered low-risk nations. But instead, the administration now wants them to file details of their U.S. travel plans online two days or more before they arrive. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the European Union’s Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner is drawing up a reciprocal plan that would impose the same demands on U.S. travelers coming to Europe. The proposal could go to the EU’s 27 member states as soon as next month, but their approval would be required before it could take effect.