New European Border control – Post-COVID travel regulations to Europe

EU governments decided that some travel restrictions are necessary to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic across Europe. All Europeans’ health and safety are protected and ensured by the European border controls.

The European Commission is doing all possible to ensure free movement of citizens, products, and services while adhering to all applicable health and safety regulations. Despite the fact that many European nations are dealing with the second and third waves of the coronavirus epidemic, they have vacillated between closing borders and reopening them to foreign travellers in recent months.

Despite the fact that vaccination rollouts are continuing to increase, allowing daily activities to return to normal, the European Commission has proposed some health and safety safeguards.

European Border Control Measures for Travel Safety

Re-Opening of the EU

On June 15, 2020, the European Commission began the re-opening of the EU as a first step toward safer travel in Europe. This policy serves as a foundation for the EU’s Tourism and Transport package, which aims to guide travellers and securely resume tourism in the EU.

Following the reappearance of the third coronavirus wave, the commission’s focus has switched to giving a country-by-country assessment based on:

1. Epidemiological information
2. Safety from the coronavirus at the national level
3. Quarantine and testing requirements are examples of travel restrictions.

This data is available for all European countries, including the following:

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland and all members of the European Union.

It’s also updated on a daily basis with validated data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) and Member States.

Mobile contact tracing applications

The mobile contact tracking app is meant to supplement manual contact tracing. This contributes to breaking the chain of coronavirus infections and saving lives across the country. It has the potential to speed up traditional contact tracing and save time for public health workers tracing illness chains.

Users of the contact tracing and warning apps are alerted when they are in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. If a warning is issued, the app may include pertinent information from health authorities, such as recommendations to be tested or isolate oneself, as well as who to contact.

EU Digital COVID Certificates

For all European nationals, EU Digital COVID Certificates are the doorway to safe travel measures. On May 20, 2021, the European Parliament and the Council established an interim political agreement on the EU Digital COVID Certificate.

The Commission proposes that the EU Digital COVID certificate be ready by the end of June. The legislation will take effect on July 1, 2021, according to the European Commission, to guarantee the health and safety of all Europeans.

Features of the EU Digital COVID Certificate

The EU Digital COVID accreditation, according to the European Parliament and Council:

• Immunisation, testing, and rehabilitation will all be covered;
• It will be offered in both digital and paper formats, with a digitally signed QR code, depending on the recipients’ preferences.
• It will be free, simple to get, and available to those who were vaccinated prior to the implementation of the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation;
• If permitted by national law, Member States may utilise it for national purposes;
• If necessary and reasonable to protect public health, Member States may impose additional travel restrictions on EU Digital COVID Certificate holders.
• In addition, the Commission will mobilise resources.

A common approach to travel measures

What are the technique to travel measures that is widely used?

The EU Member States agreed a Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to limiting free movement in response to the COVID-19 epidemic on October 13th. This Recommendation is based on a proposal adopted by the Commission on September 4th.

The Recommendation identifies four major areas where Member States’ activities will be coordinated.