COMMON CRITERIA FOR TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THE EU PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION

 Filenews 5 September 2020

A proposal for a recommendation to coordinate travel restrictions within the EU was sent by the Commission to the Council of Member States. In particular, the Commission proposes common criteria and thresholds for Member States when deciding whether to introduce travel restrictions, mapping common criteria using an agreed colour code, a common framework for measures applicable to travellers from high-risk areas and clear and timely information to the public on any restrictions

According to the Commission, the definition of areas in green, orange and red should be common in the EU.

On trips from green areas there should be no restriction. On trips from orange regions there may be a recommendation for testing and quarantine and on trips from red areas, Member States have the right to propose tests and other restrictions, but they must be the same as those they apply in red areas within them.

In particular, the Commission proposes that each Member State take into account the following criteria when adopting restrictive measures:

- the total number of COVID-19 cases recently notified per 100,000 people in a given area over a 14-day period.

- the percentage of positive tests from all COVID-19 tests carried out in a given area over a seven-day period.

- the number of COVID-19 tests carried out per 100 000 persons in a given area over a seven-day period.

Member States should provide this data on a weekly basis to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Member States should also provide this data at regional level to ensure that any measures can be targeted in those areas where they are absolutely necessary.

Since the Member State of departure has a weekly test rate of more than 250 per 100 000 persons, the Commission proposes that Member States do not restrict the free movement of persons travelling from another Member State where the total number of cases of COVID-19 recently notified in a given area equals less than 50 per 100,000 persons over a 14-day period , or when the percentage of positive tests from all COVID-19 tests in a given area is less than 3%.

On the basis of the information provided by the Member States, the Commission proposes that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control publish a map of EU and EEA countries, updated weekly, with a common colour code to support Member States and travellers.

The Commission proposes to classify it as:

- green an area where the total number of recently notified COVID-19 cases is less than 25 over a 14-day period and the percentage of positive tests from all COVID-19 tests is less than 3%.

-orange an area where the total number of recently notified COVID-19 cases is less than 50 over a 14-day period, but the percentage of positive tests from all COVID-19 tests is 3% or more, or the total number of recently notified COVID cases is between 25 and 150 BUT the percentage of positive results from all COVID-19 tests is less than 3%.

-red an area where the total number of recently notified COVID-19 cases is greater than 50 over a 14-day period and the percentage of positive results from all COVID-19 tests is 3% or more, or the total number of cases notified is more than 150 per 100,000 people over a 14-day period.

- grey if there is insufficient information to assess the criteria proposed by the Commission, or the number of COVID-19 tests carried out per 100 000 persons is less than 250.

The Commission also proposes a common approach between Member States when dealing with travellers from high-risk areas.

Member States should not refuse entry to persons travelling from other Member States. Member States which introduce restrictions on free movement on the basis of their own decision-making procedures could require persons travelling from an area designated as 'red' or 'green' to undergo a 14-day quarantine or COVID-19 test after arrival with the COVID-19 test being the preferred option.

Where justified, Member States could consider recommending that persons travelling from an area designated as 'orange' be tested for COVID-19 before departure or on arrival.

Member States could require persons arriving from an area classified as 'red', 'orange' or 'grey' to submit passenger identification forms, in particular those to those arriving by plane, in accordance with data protection requirements.

Travellers with essential function or need - such as workers in critical occupations, frontier and posted workers, students or journalists performing their duties - should not be quarantined, the Commission says.

The Commission proposes that Member States provide details of the upcoming restrictions on free movement or the lifting of travel restrictions in the Member States and the Commission on a weekly basis. The changes must be notified one week before they enter into force.

Source: eyenews/CYPE