Wednesday, May 19 - The European Union (E.U.), announced it will lift travel restrictions on non-essential, non-E.U. travel for vaccinated travelers from white-listed countries. This means that travel from the United States (U.S.), expected to be included in the plan's white listed group of approved countries, could resume as early as the last week of May. This is important, as the travel industry struggles to regain loss revenue. As of early May, 45% of American adults said they're ready to consider international travel, according to a new Harris Poll survey.
“Today, E.U. ambassadors agreed to update the approach to travel from outside the European Union,” European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand told reporters. The European Council “now recommends that member states ease some restrictions, in particular for those vaccinated with an EU-authorized vaccine.”
Travel between the United States and the EU's 27-nation bloc has been restricted since March of last year, this includes travel to Britain (which is no longer a part of the EU). Britain currently has no special treatment for vaccinated travelers. Many analysts agree that opening up more countries and resuming transatlantic travel between the United States and Europe is essential to restoring the global economy. But despite earlier reports of a potential U.S reopening by mid-May, it remains to be seen if the EU's new rules will encourage the Biden administration to also lift the U.S's existing travel restrictions against European travelers.
Critics acknowledge the new travel ban lift may favor richer nations with the means to vaccinate large amounts of their citizens. In the United States, anyone who wants a vaccine can get one, oftentimes with the supply of shots outstripping demand. In contrast, citizens across Latin America and the Caribbean, with some of the highest infection and death rates in the world, have one of the lowest access to vaccines. This greatly limits their ability to resurge economically from COVID-19. Pan American Health Organization says just about a tenth of the region's population of over 653 million has received at least one dosage of the vaccine.
However, it should be noted that the new E.U. guidance is not binding, so some countries could choose to be more or less restrictive. For instance, Greece which is heavily dependent on international tourism has already opened its borders to travelers. Washington Correspondent travelers thinking of going to Europe are urged to be knowledgeable of specific country rules.