*** modified Thursday 16 June at 11 am ***
Member States’ national ambassadors to the EU added, on Wednesday 16 June, eight new countries and territories to the list of third countries whose residents, vaccinated or tested negative or recovered from Covid-19, can travel to the EU for non-essential reasons, including the United States, which was included for the first time in this list adopted on 30 June 2020 (see EUROPE 12517/8).
Along with the US, the ambassadors added North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Lebanon, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, some of these third countries having been removed from the list last year due to deteriorating conditions.
Member States had reviewed the criteria for third country travellers in a revised recommendation on 19 May (see EUROPE 12722/1) and the Japanese were the first to be re-listed (see EUROPE 12732/3).
The current list therefore includes 16 countries: the United States, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Lebanon, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China, subject to reciprocity.
The new list will be adopted on 18 June by the EU Council of Ministers without a debate. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)