The final move was announced earlier 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.https://www.eudebates.tv/debates/world-debates/g7-leaders-met-online-to-fight-coronavirus-as-eu-closes-borders/ #eudebates #coronavirusitalla #Covid_19 #coronavirus #CoronavirusOutbreak #Corona #COVD19 #Health #EUCO #COVID EU leaves economic forecast unchanged despite risks!
“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 medicine foodstuffs and goods and our citizens must be able to travel to their home countries. 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 coordinate temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for a period of 30 days based on the approach proposed by the Commission,” President Michel said.
The proposal for the closure of the borders was announced by the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen yesterday, who asserted that with fewer people travelling, it would be easier to contain the virus.
The French President Emanuel Macron was the first leader of a European Union Member State to confirm that the EU and Schengen Borders would close, though he said that the shutting down would happen today at noon, which did not.
In a televised address to the nation, President Macron confirmed that the EU has taken a shared decision to suspend travel to and between Schengen countries for a month at least.
“We need to be able to protect ourselves and to stem the spread of this virus. We need to preserve our current medical system. This morning, as Europeans, we made a shared decision. As of tomorrow, midday, the European Union borders and the Schengen borders will be closed. Any travel between non-European and European countries will be suspended for the next 30 days,” Macron said.
Sources of SchegnenVisaInfo.com confirm that the idea has been firstly discussed on a phone call yesterday between French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of the European Commission and Council. The first had accused member states of taking unilateral moves during the call.
The discussion has been followed by a joint video meeting between Commissioners Kyriakides and Johansson with the EU ministers of Health and of Home Affairs, during which the commissioners presented the guidelines regarding the proposal.
“Our measures to contain the Coronavirus outbreak will be effective only if we coordinate on the European level. We have to take exceptional measures to protect the health of our citizens.