EU says it strongly condemns U.S. visa ban on European individuals

BRUSSELS, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The European Commission strongly condemns the U.S. decision to impose a visa ban on five European individuals, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, a Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday, adding that the EU had requested clarifications from the U.S. authorities.

"If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures," he also said.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)