Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, suggested in an interview with EUROPE 1 on Friday 3 April that temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU might continue after Easter.
“Discussions are ongoing regarding a possible extension of closure of the EU's external borders beyond Easter, in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak” she said.
The measure, which was adopted by the Twenty-Seven on 17 March, is initially scheduled to last for 30 days, as suggested by the Commission.
The decision to ‘close’ the EU's external borders is, however, a matter for the Member States. The Schengen area countries that have been invited to implement this measure, such as Switzerland, have closed their borders for 3 months.
“We are in consultation with Member States on how to proceed beyond Easter”, the President said. All Member States, with the exception of Ireland, are applying this measure, the aim of which is to restrict the arrival of nationals from non-Member States in the EU for the duration of the pandemic. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)