The real reaction of Brussels to the Hungarian border blockade has arrived

Uniform regulation

He recommended that member states adopt recommendations on common criteria and thresholds on Friday. epidemic restrictions on free movement within the EU The European Commission.

It is clear that more coordination is needed to ensure that millions of European citizens cross borders and that the economy recovers safely.

– Didier Reynders, the EU Justice Commissioner, said on Friday, adding that any restriction on the free movement of people must be coordinated, strictly necessary and proportionate, and non-discriminatory on nationality grounds.

Mr Reynders stressed that the Commission was not proposing new restrictions on the free movement of persons, but a new framework that would provide guidance to Member States if necessary. To this end, Brussels proposes that Member States should provide each other and the Commission with clear and prior information on a weekly basis on all measures affecting EU citizens. Member States must notify changes one week before entry into force.

Uniform limit values

The Commission proposal identifies four key areas where Member States need to work more closely. These are:

1. Establish common criteria and thresholds for Member States to decide whether travel restrictions are justified;
2. Indication of classified areas according to common criteria with accepted color codes;
3. Develop a common framework of measures for passengers arriving from high-risk areas;
4. Clear and timely information to the public about possible restrictions.

According to Ylva Johansson, member of the Internal Affairs Board, the situation has changed because epidemic centers are now limited to regions and locals rather than countries, which justifies a zonal approach.

The Commission proposes to take into account the following criteria for the introduction of possible restrictive measures:

• the total number of new Covid19 cases registered in the area in the last 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants;
• the percentage of all positive tests for Covid19 performed in the area in the last 7 days;
• the number of Covid19 tests conducted in the area in the last 7 days per 100,000 inhabitants.

Assuming that the weekly testing rate per 100,000 in the Member State of departure exceeds 250, the Commission proposes that Member States do not restrict the free movement of persons entering from another Member State if:

• the total number of recently registered Covid19 cases in the area in the last 14 days is less than 50 per 100,000 inhabitants, or
• the percentage of positive Covid19 tests performed in a given area is less than 3%.

Map updated weekly with 4 colors

The Commission also proposes that, on the basis of data provided by Member States, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) publishes the results of the EU Member States and EEA countries. map updated weekly, using a common color code to help Member States and passengers find their way:

• Green color: areas where the number of recently registered Covid19 cases in the last 14 days is less than 25 and the percentage of positive Covid19 tests performed there is less than 3%;
• Orange: areas where the number of recently registered Covid19 cases in the last 14 days is less than 50, BUT the percentage of positive Covid19 tests performed there is at least 3%, OR the total number of recently registered Covid19 cases 25 and 150 , BUT the percentage of positive tests from all the Covid19 tests performed there is less than 3%;
• Red: areas where the number of Covid19 cases recently registered in the last 14 days is more than 50 AND the percentage of positive Covid19 tests performed there is at least 3% OR the total number of Covid19 cases recently registered in the last 14 days more than 150 people for every 100,000 inhabitants per day;
• Gray: if there is not enough information to evaluate the criteria proposed by the Commission OR if the number of Covid19 tests carried out in the area per 100,000 inhabitants is less than 250.

The Commission urges Member States not to deny entry to persons from other Member States. Member States that nevertheless restrict freedom of movement in accordance with their own decision-making procedures, may require that persons traveling from an area classified as “red” or “gray” be quarantined OR carry out a Covid19 test upon arrival, granting the Commission the last privileged option.

Whats Next?

Commission proposal for Council recommendations now it will be before the Council and the Commissioners trust that in a few weeks an agreement will be reached on common criteria.

Responding to a question, Ylva Johansson emphasized that travel restrictions cannot be imposed on citizens of the countries included in the green code according to the proposals. For citizens of red zone countries this is possible but not necessary (it would be left to the Member States). But, in such cases, the same measure should be applied to all red zone locations, even within national borders.

“The impression should not be given that the number one response to the epidemic is the introduction of border measures,” said the Swedish EU Commissioner.

Responding to a question from Euronews, Johansson noted that since the beginning of the epidemic, Hungary has made decisions at wind speed on new border measures, and has also corrected them at lightning speed when they turn out to cause a lot of problems. “I want Hungary to follow the recommendations just as quickly once they have been adopted by the Council,” he said. The question asked Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister, to react to the statement that criticism of the closure of the Hungarian border was not justified, because other EU member states would take similar measures within a few days.

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