We will not return to normal foreign travel quickly: EU countries are making individual agreements

Guidelines only, no obligations

The 70-page set presented by the Commission on Wednesday aims to gradually remove travel restrictions and allow tourism companies to resume operations, or in the words of the Commission’s Vice President, Margrethe Vestager, so that “we don’t have to stay closed in the summer and lose the tourism sector entirely. “

The Commission proposes a coordinated step-by-step approach, starting with the elimination of restrictions between zones or Member States with a similar epidemiological situation, based on three criteria: epidemiological situation, capacity to manage the epidemic (medical access) and proportionality according to economic needs. . Recommendations are also provided to ensure the safety of tourists, with regard to coronavirus mobile applications, travel reimbursement, etc. The principle of non-discrimination has been singled out as particularly important.

“Suppose a country decides to open its border with Germany, then everyone living in Germany must be able to travel. If the epidemiological situation is the same in all countries in the region, then the borders should be open to all of them,” he explained. a high-level Commission official informally accredited journalists in Brussels before the guidelines were published.

At the same time, he added, “This is just a set of guidelines.”

“The EU has developed guidelines for the gradual opening of the EU’s internal borders. The opening of the borders to tourism will be decided by each country individually, taking into account the epidemiological situation both within the country and in the neighborhood. Cooperation and the opening of the three Baltic States is a great example, but the EU cannot order the countries to open their borders, it is an exclusive competence of the countries, “said Jovita Neliupšienė, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU, before Delfi.

Each country takes action individually

Not only the Baltic Bubble, as it has already been called cooperation between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, but also other EU countries are concluding bilateral agreements. France and the United Kingdom have agreed not to apply a mandatory quarantine period on arrivals. The French also agreed with the Germans to open the borders from June 15. From the same day, Austria and Switzerland also negotiated with Germany to open the borders.

At that time, Poland until at least June 12. will keep all your walls closed. Spain, which is particularly affected by the coronavirus, is planning to open its borders only in July and only to citizens of the Schengen area.

Slovenia is the first EU country to announce that it defeated the epidemic, lifted the quarantine period for all EU citizens, and opened its borders with Austria, Italy and Hungary. Belgium awaits June 15. Open to tourists.

Particularly dependent on the tourism sector, the current Croatian Presidency has entered into active bilateral negotiations on the arrival of travelers in the summer with Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany.

Another country heavily dependent on tourism, Greece, has also started bilateral negotiations on travel flows. The Greeks are talking not only with EU countries, but also with others, such as Russia, Norway or even Australia, although the Commission has recommended keeping the EU’s external borders closed until June 15. At the same time, Greece requires tourists to undergo a coronavirus test 72 hours prior to arrival. The Greeks tried to ‘push’ the idea of ​​’COVID-19 passports’ or ‘immunity passports’ at EU level, but found no support because, in the Commission’s view, it was not a very effective tool.

The Commission lacks ambition.

Then again, at the start of the pandemic, all EU countries are making unilateral decisions, raising doubts that the free movement of people across the EU will resume, while saving the summer holiday season. That is why the European Commission has been criticized once again for being able to play a more active role in coordinating the return to the pre-pandemic situation.

“We were already facing problems when it all started, there was little solidarity,” economist Toni Roldan told Bloomberg.

According to him, the national exit strategy could now be applied at EU level and coordinated by the Commission. T.y. If each country now has maps of the spread of the virus in its own regions and makes decisions based on them, then it is possible to apply those maps at the EU level and open regions instead of ‘healthy’ countries.

“I think the European Commission should be much more ambitious, create a labeling system at the regional level: if a certain region meets the criteria, then it is rated as ‘green’. In this case, the regions themselves would be motivated and would take all measures to reduce the impact of the virus, “he mentioned as one of the possible initiatives.

It is true that the European Commission has a plan to create a regional coronavirus map, but so far, according to its officials, data is lacking. The map will also be more “educational” in nature, so travelers can see where they are going to travel.

“Brussels ‘attempt to restore the viability of the tourism sector leaves a lot of uncertainty,” said Politico.eu, Brussels’ most influential publication in the European Commission’s tourism and transport guidelines. It is not surprising that other experts are of the opinion that it is too early to expect to spend a holiday in another EU country this July.

Will life return to the Brussels bubble only in the fall?

And the Brussels bubble itself is in no rush to return to pre-epidemic life, although the situation in Belgium is improving and quarantine restrictions are gradually easing. The European Parliament must always wear masks from this week until July 31. no more than 30% Employees may work simultaneously. Some European Commission staff speculate that a return to the offices will only be allowed in August.

From July 1. The incoming German presidency is not going to resume live Council meetings quickly. According to Michael Clauß, Germany’s spokesman for the EU, the first live meetings of EU ministers could take place in the summer, but “personally I think it will be faster in the fall.”

Lithuanian diplomats should start slowly returning to the mission offices next week, but a large part will continue to work from home.