Member States remain in control of their borders but the European Council calls for coordination (photo: F.Dubessy)
EU / MEDITERRANEAN. Faced with the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic, on Thursday 22 October 2020, the European Council decided to modify its recommendations for temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the European Union because of Covid-19. Tunisia is paying the price (along with Canada and Georgia) by being removed from the list of third countries whose residents should not be affected by such restrictions*. Tunisians are therefore seeing the borders of the European Union close. And a measure of reciprocity remains to be feared. This country has seen an upsurge in cases in recent weeks.
With the withdrawals already recorded, during previous updates in July and August, from Algeria, Montenegro, Morocco and Serbia, it no longer includes, as of 22 October 2020, any third Mediterranean country. It should be noted that residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican are considered EU residents by this recommendation, as are the countries associated with the Schengen area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland).
These simple recommendations, each EU country having its own free will in this matter, were first issued on 30 June 2020 and have already been reviewed four times. However, the European Council calls on Member States to "ensure that measures taken at the external borders are coordinated in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the Schengen area".
* By 22 October 2020: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore (new entrant), South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay, China (subject to reciprocity).
With the withdrawals already recorded, during previous updates in July and August, from Algeria, Montenegro, Morocco and Serbia, it no longer includes, as of 22 October 2020, any third Mediterranean country. It should be noted that residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican are considered EU residents by this recommendation, as are the countries associated with the Schengen area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland).
These simple recommendations, each EU country having its own free will in this matter, were first issued on 30 June 2020 and have already been reviewed four times. However, the European Council calls on Member States to "ensure that measures taken at the external borders are coordinated in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the Schengen area".
* By 22 October 2020: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore (new entrant), South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay, China (subject to reciprocity).
