A proposal for visa-waiver privileges for Taiwanese travelers to Europe's Schengen Area is expected to be submitted by the European Commission, but there is no timetable for when the proposal will be passed, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday. A proposal to grant Taiwanese travelers visa-free privileges for the 25 European countries under the Schengen Agreement is expected to be discussed and voted on in the European Parliament, with another discussion in the EU Council before it takes effect in the near future, said Chiu Jong-jen, director-general of the MOFA's Department of European Affairs. 'We have met every requirement under the EU visa-waiver program. Our case is a simple one and I expect good news very soon, ' Chiu said in a press briefing. The ministry has been working on the proposal with the EU since early last year and had said earlier that the proposal would be passed before June, although it later changed its statement, saying that the widely anticipated visa-waiver is expected to be granted before the end of the year. However, the statement was made before Taiwan's execution of four death row inmates April 30 sparked condemnation from the EU. Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights both issued statements condemning the executions. Guy Ledoux, head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) , the organization that represents EU interests in Taiwan, also asked Taiwan to restore a de facto moratorium on the death penalty. The MOFA has reiterated its hope that the issue of the death penalty and the visa-waiver program can be kept as separate issues. The EETO declined to comment on the visa-waiver proposal, saying only that once the proposal is submitted, the office or the EU will make a public announcement on the matter. 