Crossing Borders

Rzeczpospolita compares EU Member States' attempts to ease restrictions on travel, after Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have signed an agreement creating a regional ‘travel bubble’. As of Friday, citizens of these countries can travel freely between the three states. There is a possibility of expanding this travel bubble to include Poland. The Baltic countries are among the first in the EU to reopen their borders but other countries are already following suit. Greece and Cyprus are thinking of creating their own travel zone, and so are France and the UK. Allowing travel within certain regions is in line with the Commission’s recommendations which suggest that tourism restart gradually. The article underlines how it is crucial to allow travel as soon as possible but reminds that air travel will need to put in place special testing and social distancing measures.

Repubblica reports that EU Member States with low numbers of coronavirus infections, such as Greece, Croatia, Portugal and Germany, are preparing for the summer with special, mostly bilateral travel corridors with other EU countries that have managed the virus equally well. However, Italy and Spain, described in the article as the 'Cinderellas of Europe', fear they will be excluded from these travel plans this summer as they have experienced much higher numbers of coronavirus cases. Tourism accounts for a large percentage of GDP for all of these countries and will play a crucial role in the recovery of their economies. According to the article, many Member States are disregarding the EU's call for a coordinated approach to reopening borders and kick-starting tourism, and have started implementing their own plans instead. This week, also the Baltic countries will abolish border controls, while Austria and Germany plan on opening their mutual borders in June. Meanwhile, the UK and France are working on a pact to avoid quarantines for travellers between the two countries.

Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that the German government is taking a regional approach to travel this summer and will start by opening its borders with Luxembourg this week. As of mid-June, the country plans to allow travel with France, Switzerland and Austria, and wants to open its border with Denmark as soon as possible. The European Commission has been advocating for a gradual reopening of Schengen and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is giving hope to the idea of relaxing the global travel warning for Germans. The World Health Organization has agreed that there is no problem with opening borders between neighbouring countries as long as the situations are relatively similar and stable. Air travel, on the other hand, poses different risks and more complex solutions to mitigate the further spread of the virus. Therefore, a regional approach to travel seems to be the best option this summer as countries can avoid imposing rules of quarantines for travelers, leaving tourists to move freely throughout the region.  

Politiken's Europe correspondent writes about the Danish struggle to reopen its borders, while Germany has already announced its intention to allow travel between Denmark as soon as the Danish government gives its green light. Denmark has yet to respond, but has stated that by June the government will have more clarity on its position, as it is still discussing solutions with its other neighbours. The country also faces internal political struggles, with some parties advocating for the reopening to start immediately. According to German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, it may be possible to see an agreement in the next few days and it might even allow Germans to travel to the Nordic countries as well.