Impact of New Visa Waiver Legislation on Central and Eastern Europe

Discussions are currently underway to overhaul the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) with the goal of enhancing security standards, building good will between the U.S. and its allies, and strengthening cooperation in the common struggle against international terrorists. On March 5, 2007 the CSIS New European Democracies Project (NEDP), together with Friends of Slovakia (FOS) and the American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFOCR), organized a forum on Capitol Hill on the impact of the Visa Waiver Program on U.S. allies in Central Europe.  

Panelists included Paul Rosenzweig, Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mark Pekala, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European & Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State; and Michael Wyganowski, Executive Director, Center for European Policy Analysis. CSIS NEDP Director and Europe Program Senior Fellow Janusz Bugajski moderated the discussion.