The national ambassadors of Member States to the European Union decided on Wednesday 5 May to include Israel on the list of third countries whose residents may once again travel to the EU for non-essential reasons. The decision is expected to be endorsed by the Foreign Affairs Council on 6 May.
Israel’s health situation is satisfactory, meaning it joins the 7 countries currently on the list (Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China on a reciprocal basis).
On Wednesday, the ambassadors also held initial discussions on the European Commission’s proposal on a recommendation presented on 3 May to extend entry conditions for travellers from third countries, especially those who have been vaccinated (see EUROPE 12711/1).
The reception was “very positive”, said one source, with delegations finding the text to be balanced; they also welcomed the inclusion of an emergency brake so that it would be possible to react quickly to new variants and so-called variants of interest.
The discussion was nevertheless marked by some questions: Member States want to ensure that the EU will not reopen more to tourists from third countries than to nationals from its own Member States. “Discrimination between tourists from third countries and tourists from Member States should be avoided”, said the source in summary.
Another question is how border authorities will be able to verify health certificates from tourists from third countries and in particular their veracity, issues that are directly related to the ongoing work on digital green certificates, and their equivalents for third countries.
On Monday 3 May, the European Commission wanted the recommendation to be adopted by Member States by the end of May, but on Wednesday, the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council did not specify its timetable.
It is still quite possible to reach an agreement by the end of May, said another source, but caution remains regarding “ the criteria, so as not to take risks, and on the timetable”, with certain Member States being concerned that international tourism should not be put before that of free movement within the EU.
For other countries, while the emergency brake is indeed a welcome addition, it may also need to be “beefed up” to ensure that it can adapt to rapidly changing situations. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)