Brussels has threatened reprisals against US visitors to Europe after President George Bush authorised legislation requiring passenger information to be supplied 48 hours in advance of travel.
The EU is drawing up plans for a European electronic travel authorisation system similar to the one which was written into US law late last week as part of new Homeland Security rules proposed by the 9/11 commission and endorsed by Congress.
The US ETA requires tourists from 14 mostly Western European states, including the UK, benefiting from the US visa waiver programme to register online and give their passport details, travel plans and planned social and business meetings at least two days before departure. A similar scheme operates in Australia.
Some see the new system as a deterrent to business travel to the US and to the country’s tourism in general, which has fallen 10% since 2000.