22 Jan
European Union leaders have agreed to keep borders open despite the spread of new variants of the coronavirus. But they also confirmed that non-essential travel within the bloc should strongly be discouraged.
The leaders held a video summit on Thursday.
They agreed that member countries should not close their borders to ensure the functioning of the single market, including the flow of goods and travel by people such as medical workers.
They also confirmed that non-essential travel should be limited to prevent the spread of infections that could lead to border closures.
During the COVID-19 outbreak last year, some EU nations closed their borders without coordinating policies with other members. That resulted in disruptions in deliveries of essential goods.
The leaders also discussed a proposal to issue an EU-wide vaccine certificate to guarantee cross-border travel. The topic was left for further discussions, as some raised concerns that inoculations are still being carried out across the EU and it is not known how long vaccines will remain effective.
Member countries that rely on tourism support the proposed certificate, but others are less enthusiastic about the idea. The bargaining in the EU is expected to continue until the spring tourism season.
NHK
