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There is an unwritten law in Brussels that states that the importance of an advertisement is inversely proportional to the number of commissioners or senior officials who present it. This Wednesday, on the podium of the Berlaymont building, there were no less than five, in two batches. In the first, the vice president and head of Competition, Margrethe Vestager, and the Frenchman Thierry Breton, head of the Interior, to speak of the "strategic orientations of the Tourism and Transport Package". And then Commissioners Kyriakides, Johansson and Vlean to address the practical recommendations.

Covid 19 has shown all the limitations of the Commission. There are no European competences in Health or border issues. The bulk of economic decisions have been made by the Eurogroup and the European Council. And the little debate that is taking place rather takes place on the fringes of a confined European Parliament. The Commission wants to vindicate its role, to get its chest out when it can . He tried it a few weeks ago by presenting a roadmap for the most coordinated possible exit from confinement and the states of alarm or emergency and he tries again today with some guidelines to coordinate the de-escalation before the summer season and the possible devastating effects on The tourism. Urging to lift bans on tourism gradually, without forced quarantines on anyone coming from abroad or imposing the use of a health passport

"The Commission's guidelines aim to offer people the opportunity to rest, relax and breathe fresh air. As soon as the health situation allows, citizens should be able to catch up with friends and family, in their own country or across borders , with all necessary security and precautionary measures, "says the communication. For this, nothing very original: "the generalized prohibition on free movement should be replaced by more specific measures. If the health situation does not justify a general lifting of the restrictions," says the text, then with a system "in phases and coordinated".

The main lines are known: go on raising the measures if there is a control of the epidemic, the contagions do not increase and following the slogans of the ECDC, the European Center for Disease Prevention. Secondly, "apply containment measures" during all displacements, including additional safeguards where social distance is more difficult to guarantee. "And finally," economic and social considerations "that give proportionality to any decision.

The EU speaks of three phases . The first is the current one, with very restrictive measures except for workers such as carriers, border employers, cross-border or essential seasonal workers. The second (Phase 1) is when the most severe prohibitions should be gradually lifted, "starting with the regions, areas and Member States with a positive evolution and a similar epidemiological situation". Brussels believes that at this stage, "transit should be facilitated for professional, personal and tourist reasons."

In the last one, Phase 2, all the limitations and border controls would disappear, but maintaining the appropriate sanitary measures. And movement across the EU should be allowed. The transition from one situation to another should be cautious and flexible, they explain, allowing backtracking if necessary.

The package presented today could be summarized by making two lists. On the one hand, what it includes: an invitation to gradual de-escalation . A commitment to establish corridors between reasonably safe areas, which may correspond to countries or regions. Using the available 'real-time' information. There is a shout out call to avoid passport discrimination, which is very scary in Brussels. Any limitation, they explain, must be by place of residence, not by nationality.

There are specific recommendations for each means of transport, from reducing the number of people on trains, buses or planes (but not necessarily without the middle seat), that there is no sale on board, making access to disinfectant gel compulsory, buying tickets Online only when possible, automatic door opening and closing, no buttons.

The Commission aims to use its digital resources to collect, in real time, all the information on countries, foci, border situations. And a protocol agreed with the capitals to " guarantee cross-border interoperability between tracking applications so that citizens can be warned of a possible coronavirus infection also when traveling in the EU ". One idea could be that in the same way that a text message is now received from the operator when crossing a border, another is received with the specific sanitary instructions of the region or the sanitary situation. And alerts in case of infections in the area.

On applications as such, to track cases, the Commission explains that "they must be voluntary, transparent, temporary, cybersecurity, using anonymous data, they must rely on Bluetooth technology and be interoperable across borders as well as across operating systems. "

On vacation spots, the Commission's protocol for hotels and apartments advocates clear rules for everyone, sent even before the arrival of tourists. With all efforts to promote social distance, including, for example, taking turns and reserving common spaces , such as "swimming pools or gyms".

What does the Commission's plan not have? Quarantines, for example . The Commission believes that they are not a good solution and that they lack meaning or proportionality when talking about neighboring countries, in a similar epidemiological situation and that they have applied equivalent confinement or social distancing measures.

There are also no references to a health passport as a requirement or tool to be able to travel abroad, whereby only those who have developed immunity and have medical tests can travel.

The Commission also does not believe that the use of masks is necessary in all public places. Yes, in public transport, although "medical masks" are not necessary, except for professionals who work in the sector.

Cancellation compensation

In today's package there is also an epigraph dedicated to one of the aspects that has generated the most controversy in recent weeks: the rights of citizens to recover their money after cancellations of trips or tourist packages. Under EU rules, travelers have the right to choose between coupons or a cash refund for each cancellation of a ticket or travel package . But some countries have asked that companies be able to offer checks instead of cash, to try to offset losses in the sector.

"While reaffirming this right of citizens, the Commission's recommendation aims to ensure that coupons become a viable and more attractive alternative to reimbursing canceled trips in the context of the current pandemic, which has also exerted strong pressure financial for travel operators, "says the text.

The idea is that the receipts should be protected against the insolvency of the issuer with a minimum period of validity of 12 months, and be repayable after a maximum of one year, if they are not exchanged. "They should also provide passengers with sufficient flexibility, allowing passengers to travel on the same route and under the same conditions of service or for travelers to book a combined travel contract with the same type of services or of equivalent quality. They should also be transferable to another traveler, "suggests the Commission.

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