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Travel Documents: U.S. Plans New Travel Procedures for 27 Countries, Starting August 1 | ESTA Website Screen Shots (Powerpoint) | More
Missile Defense: Missile Defense Plan Directed at Rogue Nations, Not Russia
Detainees: U.S. Attorney General Urges Congress to Act on Detainee Process
Art Exhibit: American Sculptor Holds First U.S. Art Show in European Commission Headquarters
Aviation Fuel/Air Safety: U.S. Grant to Spur Development of Renewable Aviation Fuels | U.S., European Commission Sign Civil Air Safety Accord

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Upcoming Webchat July 22: Filmmaker Ken Burns to Discuss His Film on America’s National Parks
WEBCAST: Five Myths and Misperceptions about the U.S. and Environmental Protection with Bill Cline, Global Environment Team Leader, U.S. Foreign Commercial Service
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CRS Reports: Europe's New Trade Agenda | European Approaches to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism | Undisclosed U.S. Detention Sites Overseas: Background & Legal Issues

International donors meeting in Brussels, Belgium, July 11 pledged $1.2 billion to assist with development efforts in Europe’s newest democracy, Kosovo. The U.S. delegation, led by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Henrietta Fore, pledged $400 million, and the European Union pledged $789 million to help the country over the next four years. According to a July 10 press release from USAID, the U.S. funding will help relieve Kosovo’s debt, build the capacity of its judicial system, enhance its business climate, improve the education system and increase access to potable water. USAID said those projects and others that will be funded were identified in Kosovo’s development plan known as the Medium Term Expenditure Framework. At the donors’ conference, Kosovo’s prime minister, Hashim Thaçi, said the framework was a document that “describes our limitations, our resources, our opportunities and our priorities. It tells us the gaps in our technical, human, and financial resources that need urgent attention and your kind consideration.” Thaçi added that Kosovo has applied for membership in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which would provide more sources for funding and development loans. According to USAID, the United States is the largest bilateral donor to Kosovo, contributing $1.1 billion since 1998. “U.S. policy remains focused on building capacity within Kosovo's nascent institutions and enhancing its ability to sustain development into the coming decade.”

The U.S. and European Commission signed a civil aviation safety agreement in Brussels on June 30, 2008. The accord aims to enable the reciprocal acceptance of findings of compliance and approvals issued by the technical agents and aviation authorities; promotion of a high degree of safety in air transport; and regulatory cooperation and harmonization regarding airworthiness approvals and monitoring of civil aeronautical products, approvals and environmental testing of civil aeronautical products, and approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities. The agreement was signed by Robert A. Sturgell, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration; Mirko Komac, Director General of the Civil Aviation Directorate in the Slovenian Ministry of Transport; and Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission with responsibility for Transport.

Beginning January 12, 2009, travelers to the United States from 22 countries in Europe and five in the Asia-Pacific region currently exempt from certain U.S. visa requirements will be using a new online travel authorization process. Under the new Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), all nationals, including children, from the 27 countries under the U.S. visa waiver program will be required to fill out an electronic travel authorization form posted on the Web (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/) prior to boarding a U.S.-bound plane or vessel. Initially, there will be no fee to submit an application. It will require answering questions about criminal records, communicable diseases, past history of visa revocation or deportation, and basic biographical data such as name, birth date and passport information. Changes in address and itinerary can be easily made online after the ESTA form has been first submitted. “Getting this information in advance enables our front-line personnel to determine whether a visa-free traveler presents a threat before boarding an aircraft or arriving on our shores,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said June 3. “It is a relatively simple and effective way to strengthen our security, and that of international travelers, while helping to preserve an important program for key allies.”