U.S. travelers ‘unlikely’ to be allowed entry into EU
Diplomats agree to bloc’s criteria
Travelers from the United States are “unlikely” to be allowed into the European Union for now, as ambassadors of the 27 member states have agreed “in principle” to criteria as the bloc begins to open up to international travel, several EU diplomats told CNN on Friday.
The agreement is not final, as the ambassadors will need to consult with their respective governments.
Under the current criteria — which, among other parameters, take into account the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days — U.S. travelers would likely be excluded.
The development was first reported by The New
York Times.
The U.S. has the highest number of coronavirus deaths and infections in the world. As of Friday afternoon, at least 2.4 million had been infected in the country and 124,891 people had died, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
An EU diplomat told CNN that it was very “unlikely” travelers from the U.S. would be allowed in, adding that even though the list had not been finalized, “the U.S.’ chances are close to zero.” The diplomat also said, “with their infection rates ... not even they can believe in that possibility.”
A new meeting on the matter will take place Monday.
Officials at the European Commission have been working with member states on advising which visitors might be considered safe to visit from July 1, when the EU plans to reopen its borders.
But the 27 member states have yet to formally agree on the criteria to be used to draw up the guidance that will be applied to the 104 countries with which the EU has visa arrangements, including the United States.
EU diplomats who spoke to CNN insisted that the criteria would be based on health, not political, considerations.
Tori Emerson Barnes, a spokesperson for the U.S. Travel Association, issued a statement saying, “The EU’s announcement is incredibly disappointing, and a step in the wrong direction as we seek to rebuild our global economy.” The statement goes on to say, “This is unwelcome news, and will have major negative implications for an economic recovery — particularly if this ban results in cycles of retaliation, as is so often the case.”