(TAN): The Schengen Area will keep its external borders closed to foreigners looking to travel for nonessential purposes from outside of the bloc at least until the end of this month.
The interior ministers of the member states arrived at the decision while also deliberating on internal border closures and controls.
The European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson had recently said that all internal border restrictions in the Union would be lifted by June-end – though most governments would lift them by the middle of the month, some others would not do so until June 30, as per reports.
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“I personally believe that we will return to the full functioning of the Schengen area and freedom of movement of citizens no later than the end of the month of June,” the Commissioner said.
However, all the countries that participated in the meeting did not agree to the lifting of these controls so soon.
Estonia’s Minister of the Interior Mart Helme said the northern European country was not prepared to open its external borders by June 15 despite the European Commission’s recommendation.
“In order not to shift the epidemiological balance within the Schengen area by mid-June, the restrictions on crossing the external border should be continued at least until June 30,” Minister Helme said.
Estonia opened its borders for visitors from the European Union, Schengen Area and the United Kingdom starting June 1. It had also created “the Baltic Bubble” to allow entry to Lithuanians and Latvians. The country, which is also inclined to permit nationals of other European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association member states to enter, is unwilling to open its borders for third-country citizens just now.
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“The opening of the European Union’s external borders must be approached with caution, and the most objective criteria must be agreed for opening the borders to third countries. In our opinion, the starting point here could be the epidemiological situation of the country, which is based on real data,” Minister Helme said.
The ministers voiced their concerns that COVID-19 has shaken some of the founding principles of the bloc.
“Full functioning of the Schengen area and free movement of persons is crucial for the economic recovery and the European Union in general,” Croatia’s interior minister Davor Bozinovic said.
