As expected, on Tuesday 13 October, the EU ministers responsible for European Affairs adopted a non-binding recommendation on the coordination of national measures to restrict travel within the EU in response to the pandemic (see EUROPE 12578/1).
The recommendation, which the Commission presented in draft form on 4 September, establishes common criteria for identifying risk areas and a common colour coding system (green, orange, red, grey). The recommendation lays down common measures to be introduced for travellers returning from red or orange zones (there will be no restrictions for green zones) and also calls for mutual recognition of screening tests.
The text does not require countries to adopt these measures, however, and nor does it lay down requirements regarding quarantine lengths; it also leaves open the choice of whether to use quarantine and/or testing.
The Commission nevertheless welcomed adoption of the recommendation “which will help to add clarity to a currently confused situation. (...) We have learned our lesson: we will not overcome the crisis by unilaterally closing borders, but by working together”, the institution said in a statement.
“It is our duty to coordinate any measures that affect freedom of movement and to give citizens the information they need to make travel decisions”, said Michael Roth, the German State Secretary for European Affairs.
“This agreement makes it possible to avoid border closures and gives priority to the least detrimental health control measures, such as testing”, said the French Secretary of State, Clément Beaune.
Beaune also welcomed the fact that the recommendation exempts essential travel from restrictions, including essential journeys undertaken by frontier workers.
However, Luxembourg did not believe that the cross-border components of the recommendation were strong enough and abstained, along with a small group of other countries. Luxembourg feels that the text will give priority to restrictions rather than to making life easier for European citizens and believes that it does not do enough to maintain the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination when choices are made to restrict movement.
It also feels that the criteria being used are inadequate, as mortality and hospitalisation rates have not been taken into account. Luxembourg is also concerned that Member States with ambitious testing strategies may also be subject to restrictions by other Member States with much lower testing rates, says one source.
Disappointment for the airline industry
“The recommendation by the Council of the EU falls far short of what it was supposed to deliver: encouraging the resumption of travel through effective coordination and proportionate, predictable and non-discriminatory measures” was the verdict of ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe (A4E) and IATA.
The three organisations argued in favour of replacing quarantine measures with testing and criticised the 24-hour public information rule, which will not give travellers enough notice. They also warn of the consequences for the industry.
The recommendation can be found at: https://bit.ly/3lFtQYJ (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)