BRUSSELS — The European Union says it has decided not to suspend visa-free travel arrangements with Canada and the U.S. given good progress made on resolving the standoff.

The U.S. is refusing to allow visa-free travel to citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania until they meet the requirements of U.S. law. Canada has limits on certain categories of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens. A showdown loomed in summer 2016 and even IATA waded into the fracas, calling on EU and North American governments to resolve the crisis.

The European Commission says that “contacts have been re-launched with the new U.S. administration” and Canada has pledged to lift all outstanding visa restrictions by December.

EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said “dialogue with our strategic partners is the right way forward and we are on the right track.”

EU lawmakers had been pressuring the European Commission to suspend the visa waiver with both countries. In March the European Parliament voted to end visa-free travel for Americans in the EU, as a retaliatory move.

Now the EU and U.S. are boosting efforts to end the visa row. In Malta on Friday, EU and U.S. security officials said they “intend to step up efforts to improve security co-operation with a view to assisting (the five) in advancing more rapidly toward the fulfillment of the requirements” for a visa-waiver. They agreed to hold regular technical talks to monitor progress.

The EU says that under its visa-waiver agreement Washington must permit citizens from all 28 member countries to travel in the U.S. without visas. But Washington refuses to do so for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania until they meet the requirements of U.S. law.