EU finalising virus ‘safe list’
Us and other stricken countries unlikely to make the cut
The European Union is edging toward finalising a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter Europe again in coming days, with Americans almost certain to be excluded in the short term due to the number of US coronavirus cases.
Spain’s foreign minister yesterday said the list – which is likely to be made public today – could contain 15 countries that are not EU members and whose citizens would be allowed to visit from tomorrow.
EU envoys in Brussels worked over the weekend to narrow down the exact criteria for countries to be included, mostly centred on their ability to manage the spread of the disease.
Importantly, the countries are also expected to drop any travel restrictions they have imposed on European citizens.
The number of confirmed cases in the United States has surged over the past week, and President Donald Trump also suspended the entry of all people from Europe’s ID checkfree travel zone in a decree in March, making it highly unlikely that US citizens would qualify.
Infection rates in Brazil, Russia and India are high too, and their nationals are also unlikely to make the cut.
Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the EU is considering whether to accept travellers from China if Beijing lifts restrictions on European citizens.
Morocco is another possibility, although its government doesn’t plan to open borders until July 10.
She said she wasn’t aware of pressure from the United States for the EU to reopen travel to its nationals, adding that countries have been chosen according to their coronavirus statistics – whether similar or not to that in the EU – trends of contagion and how reliable their data is.
The safe country list would be reviewed every 14 days, with new countries being added and some possibly dropping off, depending on how the spread of the disease is being managed.
The 27 EU nations and four other countries that are part of Europe’s “Schengen area” appear on track to reopen borders between each other from tomorrow.
Once that happens and the green light is given, restrictions on non-essential travel to Europe from the outside world, which were imposed in March to halt new virus cases from entering, would gradually be lifted. — AP