Will the borders of the European Union reopen at the same time? For several days, European countries have been in discussions to lift at the same time the control measures put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. A reopening of the borders on June 15 was thus mentioned on several occasions.
But EU countries are struggling at the moment to find an agreement. The interior ministers, who meet Friday by video conference, will try to find a compromise, while many Europeans are waiting to book their holidays and the tourism sector is impatiently awaiting the return of foreign travelers.
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A reopening in dispersed order
A diplomat assured him at Europe 1: the reopening of the borders "should crystallize around June 15, but it will not be pure and perfect". Indeed, the countries of the Union operate in a disorderly manner on the subject, according to their economic interests and their health situation.
The Italians, who were hit first and confined early, reopened their borders on Wednesday. The Greeks, themselves, were little affected. The country, very dependent on tourism, will reopen on June 15, but distrust prevails vis-à-vis tourists from the most affected areas. Greece has thus announced a mini-quarantine for tourists from certain European regions, such as Île-de-France, four Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto) and four others in Spain (Madrid, Catalonia , Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha).
Another example: the decision of Spain, in particular, to reopen its land borders with France and Portugal only on July 1, made Lisbon cringe.
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A decision within 10 days
States are in fact free to keep controls as long as they consider that there is a threat to public policies, that of health for example. The European Commission could ask them to further justify their decisions, but it prefers to rely on dialogue and coordination. European Commissioner Ylva Johansson also called for an end to all internal border restrictions and controls by the end of June.
But for the moment, tourists are forced to wait before finishing their trip. A diplomat made the message fleeting: "tell your listeners to be a little patient for their holiday reservations, in 10 days, we will see more clearly". A decision is also expected in the coming days on the external borders of the EU and the Schengen area, which are currently closed until June 15.