European Union Urges U.S. To Implement HIV Law Passed By Congress Last Year

The European Commission called Tuesday on the United States to drop a requirement that transatlantic air passengers inform US authorities whether they have the virus that causes AIDS.

The US Congress passed a bill last summer withdrawing HIV notification from immigration documents, including data that US-bound passengers have to inform authorities about before they enter the United States.

But the laws have not yet been implemented by the US Department of Health and Human Services, which regulates US immigration authorities in some instances.

"This has not been done," a commission transport spokesman said. "The HIV reference is still there, and we hope that the implementing measures can be taken smoothly and quickly."
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From January 12, travellers from 35 countries have been obliged to request authorization online to enter the United States, and have to say whether they have any communicable disease.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applies to a number of European countries, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

The countries are exempt from visa requirements to enter the United States for short visits under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

The commission said it was satisfied the ESTA is not a visa in disguise.

"We do not consider the ESTA system to be tantamount to a visa and we trust that its implementation will not cause any unnecessary disruption to transatlantic passengers," the spokesman said. Courtesy Agency Presse France.