European Commission Proposes Reopening Borders to Vaccinated Travelers

Strategic Insights -

The European Commission has suggested reopening the bloc's border to vaccinated travelers on non-essential trips, raising hopes for tourists to return to the EU in the near future. The proposal, which applies to passengers who have received at least one shot with an EU-approved vaccine, includes BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed hope that this move will boost the European tourism industry and revive cross-border friendships. The proposal is subject to approval by the 27 EU countries, with a commission official hoping for the new rules to be in place by the end of May at the latest.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Commission has proposed reopening the bloc's border to vaccinated travelers on non-essential trips, with a focus on EU-approved vaccines such as BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
  • The proposal aims to revive the European tourism industry and allow cross-border friendships to "rekindle - safely," according to President Ursula von der Leyen.
  • The EU executive suggests increasing the number of countries from which all travel could be allowed, with a commission official indicating a desire to raise the threshold of Covid-19 rates that determine from which countries all travel will be possible.
  • The proposal includes the introduction of an "emergency brake" in case new strains of viruses appear, which would allow member states to temporarily limit all travel from affected countries.
  • First discussions on the proposal will take place this week with EU ambassadors, with a commission official hoping for the new rules to be in place by the end of May at the latest.

Statistics:

  • 27 EU countries would need to agree to the proposal for it to become a reality.
  • The commission official hopes for the new rules to be in place by the end of May at the latest.
  • According to a commission spokesperson, several tourism-reliant countries have advocated for re-opening the bloc's borders to vaccinated people in recent months.
  • Greece has already announced that it will open its borders to vaccinated people from certain countries, with no specific date mentioned.

Sources:

  • Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA)
  • Bahrain News Agency (BNA)