DUBLIN: Travellers from outside the European Union are allowed to enter EU member states this summer for holiday purposes. The current deal allows only fully vaccinated people, but the EU will expand the list later by adding countries with a good epidemiological situation. This will allow more travellers to enter the EU for non-essential purposes.
The decision was made yesterday during a meeting of European Union ambassadors in Brussels. The European Commission recommended EU member states to allow fully-vaccinated non-EU passengers to enter the bloc. The decision to expand the list to include nations with better epidemiological situation is expected to be made by EU ambassadors tomorrow.
According to a European Commission spokesperson, the Council of EU member states agreed on a new emergency brake mechanism that will allow the states to respond quickly and in a coordinated manner to prevent the entry of COVID-19 variants into the EU. “This will help progressively resume international inbound travel where it is possible to do so safely, while at the same ensuring quick action to counter the spread of new virus variants,” the spokesperson added.
Only eight countries are currently on the safe list, which includes Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Israel. The EU ambassadors meeting tomorrow will also decide whether to accept proof of vaccination in order to lift travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, the European Union has proposed a plan to increase the production and availability of COVID-19 vaccines more effectively. The plan will concentrate on export restrictions, promises from vaccine developers, and the application of existing World Trade Organization rules.
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told the European Parliament that “universal and fair access to vaccines and treatments must be the global community’s number one priority.” He added that vaccine producers and developers should ensure that vulnerable developing countries have access to vaccines at a reasonable cost.
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