The Commission is proposing that Member States ease the current restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU to take...
On May 3rd, 2021, the European Commission issued a proposal for council recommendation (COM (2021)-232) amending Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction
The Commission proposes to allow the entry to the EU for non-essential reasons not only for all persons coming from countries with a good epidemiological situation but also all people who have received the last recommended dose of an EU-authorized vaccine. In addition, the Commission proposes to raise, in line with the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the EU, the threshold related to the number of new COVID-19 cases used to determine a list of countries from which all travel should be permitted; this reflects the latest scientific advice showing that vaccination considerably helps to break the transmission chain.
In addition, should Member States decide to waive the requirements to present a negative PCR test and/or to undergo quarantine for vaccinated persons on their territory, they should also waive such requirements for vaccinated travelers from outside the EU. This should be facilitated once the Digital Green Certificate becomes operational, in line with the rules the Commission proposed on 17 March. In particular, travelers should be able to prove their vaccination status with a Digital Green Certificate issued by Member States’ authorities on an individual basis, or with another certificate recognized as equivalent by virtue of a Commission adequacy decision.
