Whether you are vaccinated or not, whether you are quarantined or not, whether you are tested 48 or 72 hours before entering a country: during the last few months of the pandemic, the entry rules from one country to another have often shone lack of harmonisation. A situation thatEuropean Union wants to change.
With just over a month to go before theCovid digital certificate comes into force on 1 July next European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, called for harmonised rules to make life easier for travellers within the EU.
The EU residents who have completed their vaccination should therefore be exempt from the Covid-19 quarantine. when travelling within the EU, the European Commission insisted on Monday. At the end of last week, the Commission reiterated its recommendations on the application of measures linked to the Covid digital certificate. One after the other, the parliaments of the 27 Member States have approved the entry into force of this certificate.
From 1 July, the UThe European Union wants the Covid certificate to be used to allow travellers within the EU to avoid testing or quarantine requirements.. In return, they will have to prove that they are fully vaccinated, have recovered from a Covid-19 infection or have had a recent negative test. Vaccinations must have been given two weeks before the trip.
A website the Commission's gateway "The new system allows border officials and other civil servants to check the validity of certificates. It has been operational since 1 June.
" In recent weeks, the downward trend in the number of infections has continued. This testifies to the success of vaccination campaigns throughout the European Union. This will enable Member States to gradually lift the restrictions on vaccination." said the Commissioner. Didier Reynders.
Harmonisation of the application framework
The Commission is therefore encouraging EU Member States to start issuing and accepting Covid certificates in June, so that all EU countries can use them by the end of the month, in time for the high season. Between now and 10 June, around ten countries will be issuing these certificates.. France should be ready before 10 June, as should Belgium..
The certificate exempts from all restrictive measures any person who has been fully vaccinated with a EU-approved vaccine, a certificate of cure or a negative test.
The Commission also suggestsharmonising validity of the latter: 72 hours before arrival in a country for the PCR test and 48 hours for the antigenic test. It also recommends that Member States exempt children and children under the age of six to be screened, so that families can travel together.
Member States may also relax the rules on entry to their own territory, for example by allowing unrestricted entry for half-vaccinated people or those who have received vaccines authorised by the World Health Organisation but not by the EU.
The Member States have also collectively adopted a "white list" of low-risk countries whose residents can enter. These include Australia, South Korea and Israel. It should be noted that Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have signed an agreement with the EU on reciprocal acceptance of the rules governing the European covid digital certificate.. Negotiations are currently underway with the United States to harmonise visitor acceptance protocols.
Finally, the Commission is leaving each country free to restrict freedom of movement again in the event of a dramatic increase in the number of cases or the circulation of new uncontrolled variants. The seriousness of the situation will be left entirely to the discretion of each country...
