EU executive misleading new EU states - Czech dip

BRUSSELS, Sep 26 (Reuters) A top Czech diplomat accused the European Commission today of deceiving the bloc's 10 new member states over the timing of their entry into the EU's internal travel area where border controls have been scrapped.

Jan Kohout, the Czech republic's ambassador to the European Union, also accused the EU executive body of failing to deliver on promises to press the United States to stop requiring visas for citizens of the mostly ex-communist states.

His comments come after the Commission said this month the 10 new states' entry into the Schengen area, expected in October 2007, would be delayed. An internal Commission report mentions a delay of at least a year.

Thirteen EU states and non-EU Norway and Iceland are members of the Schengen area, where people can travel without showing passports except for security controls when boarding aircraft.

''The Commission has been misleading us for a number of years,'' Kohout told a briefing.

Kohout rejected the Commission's argument that the delays were technical, saying opening borders was a political issue and the delay reflected ''the political views in some member states.'' Diplomats from new EU states had previously said privately that some old EU members were using technical pretexts to delay letting them in at a time of growing public fears on migration.

Kohout said the EU must keep the October 2007 date or risk losing public confidence among people in the new EU states.

EU interior and justice ministers will discuss the delays in opening the Schengen area at an October 5-6 meeting in Luxembourg.

Kohout also criticised a delay in a much-expected Commission recommendation on measures to press the United States to stop asking some EU states for visas.

''The Commission has so far not done much for us, on the visa reciprocity (we got) just promises, the same for Schengen,'' he said.

The Commission's recommendation is expected before the October meeting in Luxembourg.

An internal Commission report says the United States is not making enough of an effort to extend its visa waiver scheme to Greece and nine new EU states and the EU should hit back by imposing visas on U S diplomats entering the bloc.

Kohout said imposing visas would be ''the lowest level'' of EU solidarity on the issue. He would not say what measures he would like the EU to take.

''For two years we were nice and cooperative,'' Kohout said.

''On many issues the Czech government will be tougher, because so far the results are doubtful.'' The Czech republic joined the EU in 2004, at the same time as Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

REUTERS AB BS1807