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Envoys from the 27 EU Member States have agreed on a list of recommendations that will include a color-coding system to identify danger zones: depending on the situation, zones will be marked in green, orange or red.
The recommendations will remain non-binding: individual countries will be free to follow the proposals or ignore them entirely.
The tourism sector, devastated by the pandemic, hopes that such measures will be widely implemented and help reduce confusion when traveling in Europe.
The methodology was agreed with the start of the second wave of coronavirus in Europe and the alarming level of new infections in Madrid, Paris and other important parts of the EU.
“This is an important step: a general risk analysis will provide more predictability and transparency when traveling to the EU under COVID,” the German presidency said on Twitter.
Similar to the start of the pandemic last spring, EU members now have very different approaches to restrictions on COVID-19.
Germany, for example, issued a warning to travel to Belgium, while France did not. At that time, Hungary warns against travel from all countries except Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
To simplify travel arrangements, the European Commission has previously recommended the adoption of a color-coding system.
According to the agreed plan, Member States commit to provide the necessary data not only at national but also regional level.
The EU criteria include the number of COVID-19 diagnoses per 100,000. individuals, as well as the extent of testing in a particular population.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control publishes a weekly updated map based on this data, but it is up to the Member States to decide how to use this data.
According to the proposal, “Member States should continue their coordination efforts regarding the duration and alternatives to quarantine.”
The proposal is due to be formally adopted at a meeting of European affairs ministers on Tuesday.
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