Brussels, December 26: The European Commission on Wednesday strongly condemned a U.S. decision to impose visa bans on five European individuals, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, and said it had asked Washington for clarifications.
A Commission spokesperson said the bloc viewed the move as unjustified and warned it was prepared to act to protect its interests.
“If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures,” the spokesperson said.
The U.S. decision to bar the five individuals from entering the country has heightened tensions between Brussels and Washington, though the Commission did not provide further details on the grounds for the visa bans. The European Union said it was awaiting a response from U.S. authorities before deciding on any next steps.
