The U.S. and EU - committed to lifting the visas for the EU citizens

The U.S. and EU reaffirm thier commitment to conclude the agreements on visa-free travel regime between the United States and all the Member States of the European Union as soon as possible.

"We reaffirm our commitment to conclude agreements on visa-free travel regime between the United States and all Member States of the European Union as soon as possible and in accordance with law," says the joint statement after the US-EU Summit, which was held in Brussels on Wednesday.

Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Romania and Poland are the only EU countries whose citizens need visas to travel to the U.S..

In December 20, 2013 came into force the amendments to Regulation 539/2001, which allow the EU to reintroduce visas for Americans and Canadians, if Washington and Ottawa will keep the visa requirement for the EU member states.

The new rules include a 'reciprocity mechanism' that can be activated when a third country, whose citizens don't need a visa to travel in the EU, operates or maintains the visa requirements for citizens of one or more Member States.

The application of the 'reciprocity mechanism' involves a long procedure that can be initiated only at the request of a Member State, whose citizens need visas to travel to countries like the U.S. and Canada.

If this happens, the European Commission has two solutions: can adopt to impose, on a period of 12 months, a visa for citizens of third state or send, to the European Parliament and the Council, a report assessing the situation, explaining why the impose of temporary visas is not proposed.