Brussels: The European Parliament has called for Americans to be forced to apply for visas before visiting Europe, stepping up pressure to resolve a long-running transatlantic dispute.

The European Commission stressed on Thursday it was pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the row in a move that could hurt Europe's tourism sector.

Imposing visa requirements on Americans could hurt tourism in Europe. Credit:Getty Images

Washington refuses to grant visa-free access to people from four east European states - former Communist countries Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania - as well as Cyprus, while those from the other 23 member states can enter using the US visa-waiver program. EU rules call for equal treatment for all EU citizens.

Commission officials noted a planned EU-US ministerial meeting on June 15 to try and resolve the issue, which has been running since 2014. The EU executive already allowed a deadline for a solution to pass nearly a year ago, without taking action.