EUROPE UNION Decides to Close All Schengen Borders For 30 Days

Leaders in the European Union have agreed to close the bloc’s external borders to most non-EU citizens for 30 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Europe has been called the new epicentre of the global outbreak by the World Health Organisation and many countries are already on lockdown, with people’s movement restricted.

The travel restrictions do not apply to medical staff, medicines or goods.

The final move was announced in a press conference of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council Charles Michel, who explained that all borders would be closed for a period of 30 days for all non-essential travel.

On the four priorities identified, the first ‘limiting the spread of the virus’, we endorsed the guidelines proposed by the Commission on border management. We need to ensure passage of medicines, food and goods and our citizens must be able to travel to their home countries. Adequate solutions for cross-border workers will be found. To limit the spread of the virus globally, we agreed to reinforce our external borders by applying a coordinated temporary restriction of non-essential travel to the EU for a period of 30 days, based on the approach proposed by the Commission.,” President Michel said.

Whereas President Von der Leyen said that the plan was supported by the member states, and they showed a unanimous and united approach of what the external borders are concerned.

A big topic was, of course, the internal borders, and consequently the blockages there. And here it is absolutely crucial that we unblock the situation because we know that too many people are stranded within the European Union and have a problem to go back home,” she said.

The travel ban will affect all non-EU nationals from visiting the bloc, except long-term residents, family members of EU nationals and diplomats, cross-border and healthcare workers, and people transporting goods.

The EU is an economic and political union of most of the countries in Europe, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Benelux nations, Austria, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and all Scandavian countries with the exception of Norway.