European Union member countries agreed this week that they should further facilitate tourist travel into the 27-nation bloc for people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus or have recovered from COVID-19.

The European Council is recommending that EU nations next month lift all testing and quarantine requirements for people who received vaccines authorized in the EU or approved by the World Health Organization.

Individuals who received the last dose of their primary vaccination series at least 14 days and no more than 270 days before arrival, or who have received a booster dose, would be eligible along with those who recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days of travel.

The EU’s executive commission welcomed the non-binding guidance, which also makes clear that no test or additional requirements should be applied to children under six who are travelling with an adult.

“The updates will further facilitate travel from outside the EU into the EU, and take into account the evolution of the pandemic, the increasing vaccination uptake worldwide and the administration of booster doses,” the European Commission said.

Travellers who received vaccines that were approved by WHO but are not authorized for use in the EU may still be asked to present a negative PCR test or to quarantine, the European Council said.

So far, the EU has authorized the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax.

IATA

Two leading industry organization, ACI EUROPE (Airports Council International) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), immediately welcomed the EU Council recommendation, noting that it “further strengthens the principle of travel criteria based on travellers’ personal health status rather than on the epidemiological situation of the country or area of departure.”

The airports and airlines both pointed to the body of evidence supporting this approach, including “unequivocal guidance from the World Health Organization along with independent third party research showing that travel restrictions have little or no impact on epidemiological spread.”

But while calling the Recommendations “an undoubted step forward,” the associations also urged EU countries to go even further – towards an unconditional acceptance of all WHO-approved vaccines, and also replacing PCR with rapid antigen testing options.

“We now know beyond any doubt that a regime based on travellers’ personal health status is right for individuals, for economies and for societies,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE. “There is no evidence to support any other approach. As the safe resumption of air connectivity gathers pace, it is vital that Member States implement this recommendation, bringing structure, predictability, and harmonization to the benefit of all.”

Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional VP for Europe, added, “We welcome this logical Recommendation by the European Council. A vaccinated traveller from outside the EU should be treated no differently to one inside the EU. While we urge Member States to implement this Recommendation as an important step towards living normally with this virus, it is important that the EU (also) considers more flexibility on the approved vaccine list.”