They analyze travel requirements to Europe for vaccinated 0:55
(CNN) -
After nearly a year of closed borders, the European Union could open its doors in June to fully vaccinated vacationers from countries with low rates of covid-19 infection in time for the boreal summer, according to a plan. revealed on Monday.
Relaxing restrictions on non-essential travel, which will be welcomed by countries desperate to revive ailing tourism industries, would also allow for an 'emergency brake' should infection rates rise again. .
Reflecting the success of vaccination programs, the EU also wants to relax the authorization rules to include in its list of safe travel countries whose travelers do not need to be vaccinated or go into quarantine.
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Authorities hope the plan can be implemented by the end of June, a year after the EU closed its external borders to most travelers, but the borders could be opened earlier depending on how quickly European countries approve the proposal. .
Tourism and vaccination
The move comes at a time when some members of the 27-nation bloc are already planning to move forward with openness.
Last month, Greece, which is in great need of tourists, said that almost all international travelers fully vaccinated or screened for covid can enter from mid-May.
Greece advances with the reopening of tourism 0:38
The proposals, published by the European Commission, advised that arriving people should have been inoculated 14 days before arrival with a vaccine from its approved list, which includes BioNTech / Pfizer, Oxford University / AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.
"Member States could also extend this to those vaccinated with a vaccine that has completed the process of inclusion in the WHO emergency use list," adds a statement from the EC.
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The EU plan is based on a "Digital Green Certificate" that will serve as proof of vaccination or immunity and allow travel across the internal and external borders of the European Union.
Vaccination campaigns
International travelers will be able to obtain it by presenting proof in their country of initial destination that they have been vaccinated.
Before its introduction, Member States should take steps to verify the authenticity of any proof of vaccination submitted by visitors.
Monday's proposals also recommend changing the way the European Union decides which countries are on its safe travel list.
Currently, only travelers from seven nations, including Australia, New Zealand and Rwanda, can enter some EU countries on vacation without having to present proof of vaccination or undergo mandatory quarantine.
"The proposal consists of increasing the threshold of the notification rate of accumulated cases of covid-19 during 14 days from 25 to 100 [per 100,000 inhabitants]", says the EU statement.
"This is still considerably lower than the current EU average, which is over 420."
According to the latest data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the United States has a notification rate of 258, so it would not be added to the list of safe travel.
The United Kingdom, which has a rate of 47, would enter the list under the new rules.
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'Emergency break'
However, the Commission proposal includes the so-called "emergency brake", which consists in that "when the epidemiological situation in a non-EU country worsens rapidly and, in particular, if a worrying or interesting variant is detected , a Member State may urgently and temporarily suspend all incoming travel by non-EU citizens residing in that country. '
Member country ambassadors will discuss the plans on May 5.
Once approved, the list of safe countries will be reviewed every two weeks.
Decisions on borders can only be made by each country, so each Member State will decide whether or not to apply these proposals.
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