EU body recommends easing of travel within bloc from mid-June

BRUSSELS

The European Commission Monday asked the EU member states to coordinate and lift travel restrictions for their citizens from mid-June.

The guidelines proposed by the EU executive body aimed at facilitating travel between the EU states before the bloc’s new regulation on COVID-certificates comes into force on July 1.

If the EU governments adopt the recommendations, the new rules, granting free travel for fully vaccinated or recovered people, can be applied as of mid-June.

Under the guidelines, people who have been fully vaccinated can travel to another EU country without any further restriction, at least 14 days after they have received the last recommended dose approved by the European Drugs Agency.

Those recovered from COVID-19 may also travel without other test or quarantine obligation in the EU.

The European Commission also advised a standard validity period of 72 hours for PCR tests and 48 hours for rapid antigen tests for those who have not received the jabs or recovered from the illness.

The EU executive body recommended the EU states not to demand PCR tests from children under the age of 6.

At the same time, the European Commission asked the member states, who have already been prepared, to use the EU COVID-certificate system in order to ensure the smooth transition.