EU travel rules for the summer on track!

14 June 2021: The Presidents of the three EU institutions, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission have officially signed the Regulation on the EU Digital COVID Certificate. The Regulation will apply for 12 months as of 1 July 2021.

In parallel, the Council updated the recommendation on a co-ordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislative framework for EU nationals to travel within the EU this summer is reaching its final stage. The Council recommendation states that:

• Holders of vaccination certificates issued in line with the EU digital COVID certificate regulation should not be subject to testing or quarantine/ self isolation if they are fully vaccinated with an EMA approved vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since full vaccination.
• Recovered persons holding a certificate indicating that less than 180 days have passed since the date of a positive test result should not be subject to testing or quarantine/self isolation.
• Minors should not be required to quarantine/self-isolate if the person accompanying them is not required to, for example because they are vaccinated or recovered persons.

The recommendation adopts Common criteria and mapping for vaccinated and recovered persons :

• Adaptation of the thresholds of the ECDC map in view of the epidemiological situation and progress on vaccination.
• Clarification and simplification of requirements, where imposed by MS building on the color-coded reopen EU map
• Travellers from green areas: No restrictions.
• Travellers from orange and red areas: Member states could continue to require people travelling from an orange or red area to be in possession of a negative test certificate. If they do not hold such a certificate, people travelling from a red area could be required to quarantine/self-isolate until they obtain a negative test result and people travelling from an orange area could be required to undergo testing after arrival.  (Fully vaccinated and recovered travellers should be exempt).   
• Travelers from dark red areas: Non-essential travel should be strongly discouraged. This should also be the case for areas with a high prevalence of COVID-19 variants of concern or interest. Requirement of testing and quarantine remain.

The emergency break procedure allows Member States to re-introduce travel measures for vaccinated and recovered persons if the epidemiological situation deteriorates rapidly or where a high prevalence of variants of concern or interest has been reported.

ERA welcomes the adoption of this co-ordinated recommendation and calls for a swift and harmonised implementation