Borders within the European Union are to remain open for goods transports and cross-border workers. This was guaranteed during the summit on Thursday evening. The situation is more nuanced for leisure and holiday travel, where individual countries are likely to take restrictive measures both for entry and reentry after a holiday.
The situation must be closely monitored, especially in light of the new mutations, said Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. According to RTL sources, he is likely to suggest that travelers returning from a number of countries should take an obligatory test or go into quarantine.
Concerning vaccines, EU leaders will check with the EU Commission whether the AstraZeneca vaccine might already be delivered before the final EU approval has been given. They are hoping this will accelerate the vaccination campaigns. Either way, more vaccines should arrive by March or April.
Bettel explained he wanted to avoid the situation some countries are in, who have vaccinated large numbers, but are now out of vaccines.
A certificate of vaccination is not off the table, but those discussions are far from complete. One suggestion stipulates that a certificate could indeed be introduced, but used only in case of medical issues and not for travelling.
So far, however, there is no consensus on a number of points. In many cases, it might be preferable for member states to make arrangements with their direct neighbours.
