Council of theEuropean Union
Brussels, 16 March 2020
(OR. en)6861/20

JAI 245
FRONT 53
VISA 30
SAN 99MI 81
TRANS 121
COMIX 110
COVER NOTE
From:
date of receipt:

Secretary-General of the European Commission,
signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director
16 March 2020

To:

Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM-MIKKELSEN, Secretary-General of the Council ofthe European Union

No. Cion doc.:

COM(2020) 115 final

Subject:

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION COVID-19: Temporary
Restriction on Non-Essential Travel to the EU

Delegations will find attached document COM(2020) 115 final.

Encl.: COM(2020) 115 final

6861/20

JAI.1
RU/crENEUROPEAN
COMMISSIONBrussels, 16.3.2020
COM(2020) 115 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEANPARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL
COVID-19: Temporary Restriction on Non-Essential Travel to the EU

ENEN

The coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic which has spread across the globe, with cases onfive continents. Globalisation and international movements of people create conditions whichfacilitate the spread of the virus across borders. A public health crisis has, through travel,
resulted in a large number of imported cases in several countries, which progressively set off
local outbreaks through gradual but large-scale community transmission. The sooner the link
between the transmission chain and travel is lost, the faster local transmission intensifies,
exerting great pressure on healthcare systems.
At this moment, the European Union is considered to be at the epicentre of the COVID-19
pandemic. Over the past few weeks, Member States have taken a number of drastic measures
to limit the spread of the virus. However, the cases of COVID-19 have increased
exponentially within a short period of time, putting the healthcare systems of Member States
under significant strain, which also increases exponentially on a daily basis.
While travel restrictions are generally not seen by the World Health Organisation as the mosteffective way of countering a pandemic, the rapid spread of COVID-19 makes it essential that
the EU and Member States take urgent, immediate and concerted action not only to protect
the public health of our populations, but also to prevent the virus from further spreading fromthe EU to other countries, as has been observed in recent weeks.
Travel restrictions should focus on drastically reducing incoming people flows at the externalborders of the Union, thereby also slowing transmission to other countries on travellers’return, and discouraging outgoing travel of EU citizens and other persons residing in the EU+
area.1
By this Communication, the Commission recommends to the European Council to act with aview to the rapid adoption, by the Heads of State or Government of the Schengen Member
States together with their counterparts of the Schengen Associated States, of a coordinateddecision to apply a temporary restriction of non-essential travel from third countries into theEU+ area.
****The EU’s external border has to act as a security perimeter for all Schengen States. It is ofcommon interest and a common responsibility. In the current circumstances, with thecoronavirus now widespread throughout the EU, the external border regime offers theopportunity of concerted action among Member States to limit the global spread of the virus.
Any action at the external border needs to be applied at all parts of the EU’s externalborders. A temporary travel restriction could only be effective if decided and implemented
by Schengen States for all external borders at the same time and in a uniform manner.
Uncoordinated travel restrictions by individual Member States for their parts of externalborders risk being ineffective. Any unilateral decision of a Schengen State to apply atemporary travel restriction at its own part of the external borders could be easily underminedby those who would enter the Schengen area at another part of the external borders: likewise acoordinated decision requires the participation of all.

1

The “EU+ area” should include all Schengen Member States (including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus andRomania), as well as the four Schengen Associated States. It would also include Ireland and the United
Kingdom if they decide to align.

1Such a measure would also enable the lifting of internal border control measures, which
several Member States have recently reintroduced in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.
These measures risk having a serious impact on the functioning of the Single Market as theEU and the Schengen area is characterised by a high degree of integration, with millions ofpeople crossing internal borders every day.
ScopeThe temporary travel restriction should apply to all non-essential travel from third countries tothe EU+ area.
For such a temporary travel restriction to have the desired effect in terms of restricting thespread of the virus, exceptions need to be limited to travel for essential purposes.2
The temporary travel restriction must exempt nationals of all EU Member States andSchengen Associated States,3 for the purposes of returning to their homes. This exemption
must apply to:- all EU citizens4 and citizens of the Schengen Associated States, and their family
members;- third-country nationals who are long-term residents under the Long-term Residence
Directive5 and persons deriving their right to reside from other EU Directives or nationallaw or who hold national long-term visas.
It should also not apply to other travellers with an essential function or need, including:- Healthcare professionals, health researchers, and elderly care professionals;- Frontier workers;- Transport personnel engaged in haulage of goods and other transport staff to the extent
necessary;- Diplomats, staff of international organisations, military personnel and humanitarian aidworkers in the exercise of their functions;- Passengers in transit;6- Passengers travelling for imperative family reasons;- Persons in need of international protection or for other humanitarian reasons.
Coordinated and reinforced health checks should be carried out for the individuals allowed toenter the EU+ area.7

2

The special transit scheme to Kaliningrad should continue to apply, but the trains under this scheme should
not stop in the territory of Schengen.

3Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.

4

UK nationals are still to be treated in the same way as EU citizens until end 2020.

5

Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country nationals whoare long-term residents, OJ L 16, 23.1.2004, p. 44.

6Including those having been repatriated through consular assistance.

7

Guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods andessential services, 16.3.2020, C(2020) 1753 final.

2

Duration
The temporary travel restriction should apply for 30 days. Any possible prolongation of thisperiod should be assessed depending on further developments.
Conclusion
A temporary restriction on non-essential travel from third countries into the EU+ area requires
an EU-coordinated decision in agreement with the Schengen Associated States.
For that purpose, the Commission invites the European Council to act with a view to the rapid
adoption, by the Heads of State or Government of the Schengen Member States, together with
their counterparts of the Schengen Associated States, of a decision on applying a travel
restriction on non-essential travel from third countries into the EU+ area withimmediate effect at all part of the Schengen external borders.
Ireland and the United Kingdom, taking into account the Common Travel Area, areencouraged to also implement this temporary travel restriction.
EU Member States and Schengen Associated States should also strongly encourage citizens
and residents not to travel outside their territories in order to prevent the further spread of thevirus to other countries.

3