COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL COVID-19: Temporary Restriction on Non-Essential Travel to the EU
Date: 2020-03-16
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Schengen Agreement, epidemic, external border of the EU, infectious disease, internal border of the EU, public health, third country, travel

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.3.2020  COM(2020) 115 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL COVID-19: Temporary Restriction on Non-Essential Travel to the EU  
 
 
The coronavirus  crisis  is  now a pandemic which has spread across the globe, with  cases on 
five continents. Globalisation and international movements of people create conditions which 
facilitate  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 most 
effective 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 from 
the EU to other countries, as has been observed in recent weeks.  

Travel restrictions should focus on drastically reducing incoming people flows at the external 
borders  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 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  coordinated 
decision to apply a temporary restriction of non-essential travel from third countries into the 
EU+ area. 

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The EU’s external border has to act as a security perimeter for all Schengen States. It is of 
common  interest  and  a  common  responsibility.  In  the  current  circumstances,  with  the 
coronavirus  now  widespread  throughout  the  EU,  the  external  border  regime  offers  the 
opportunity 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  external 
borders. 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  external 
borders  risk  being  ineffective.  Any  unilateral  decision  of  a  Schengen  State  to  apply  a 
temporary travel restriction at its own part of the external borders could be easily undermined 
by those who would enter the Schengen area at another part of the external borders: likewise a 
coordinated decision requires the participation of all. 

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

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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 the 
EU and the Schengen area is characterised by a high degree of integration, with millions of 
people crossing internal borders every day.  

Scope 

The temporary travel restriction should apply to all non-essential travel from third countries to 
the EU+ area. 

For  such  a  temporary  travel  restriction  to  have  the  desired  effect  in  terms  of  restricting  the 
spread 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  and 
Schengen 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 national 
law 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  aid 

workers 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 to 
enter 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. 

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.  

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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 who 

are long-term residents, OJ L 16, 23.1.2004, p. 44. 

Including those having been repatriated through consular assistance. 

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7   Guidelines  for  border  management  measures  to  protect  health  and  ensure  the  availability  of  goods  and 

essential services, 16.3.2020, C(2020) 1753 final. 

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Duration  

The temporary travel restriction should apply for 30 days. Any possible prolongation of this 
period 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  with 
immediate effect at all part of the Schengen external borders. 

Ireland  and  the  United  Kingdom,  taking  into  account  the  Common  Travel  Area,  are 
encouraged 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 the 
virus to other countries. 

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