11 EU Countries Agree on Coordinated Approach for Restoration of Free Movement and Travel – SchengenVisaInfo.com

The Foreign Ministers of 11 Europen Union Member States believe that the freedom of travel and movement across Europe is an essential part of the European project, and as such, they have agreed on a common approach to its restoration.

The Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Cyprus meet this week through a video conference to discuss a coordinated approach to the restoration of free movement and travel in the European Union.

Throughout the conference, the ministers reiterated their common goal is to restore freedom of movement for all citizens, regardless of whether they travel for professional, educational or simply private purposes, on the basis of proportionality and non-discrimination.

According to a press release of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministers welcomed the guidance published by the European Commission on May 13, 2020, towards the restoration and rebooting of tourism and transport for 2020 and beyond.

As a result, the ministers agreed on several principles.

We believe that a process in stages that the EU-Conciling Member States with each other is the best way to normalize cross-border travel gradually. It will be crucial to explore how travel can be made possible without the risk of an increase in infections getting out of control, the press release reads.

The ministers also agreed that it is essential for the EU citizens to return home safely and not only to travel within the EU freely, therefore urging close coordination between the member states regarding the conditions for lifting restrictions and quarantine regulations and restoring transport services.

We believe that the restoration of cross-border free movement can take place gradually if the current positive trends continue to lead to epidemiologically comparable situations in the home and target countries. The reopening of border crossings and thus the situation of cross-border commuters deserve special attention, the press release of the German Foreign Ministry reads.

It further adds that the ministers also called on tourism companies and relevant private actors to use the coming weeks to take reasonable precautions to protect travellers as soon as freedom of travel and movement is restored.

During the meetings, Polish Minister Jacek Czaputowicz informed his interlocutors that Poland supports the approach proposed by the European Commission, which envisages a gradual lifting of internal border controls based on objective criteria, noting that the assessment of the current epidemiological situation remains crucial.

Only this week, Members of the European Union Parliament have raised their concerns regarding the imposed border controls between the Schengen Area members states amid the Coronavirus pandemic, as a way to deal with the number of infections.

The Parliament has called for a coordinated effort to restore a functioning Schengen zone as soon as possible, after free travel in the EU was interrupted in the last two months for most Europeans due to the closing of internal borders in most parts of Europe.

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11 EU Countries Agree on Coordinated Approach for Restoration of Free Movement and Travel - SchengenVisaInfo.com