The European Commission on Tuesday adopted a recommendation calling on the bloc’s 27 member states to lift general bans on flights and travel in the UK to “ensure essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions” while discouraging non-essential travel.
Why does it matter: A new variant of coronavirus in England, 70% more transmissible, has led dozens of countries to ban travel to the UK this week, in a scene reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic.
- The closures have forced miles of freight trucks to be blocked in lines in the UK’s Port of Dover, which sees about 10,000 lorries a day and accounts for about 20% of Britain’s freight trade.
- The European Commission has recommended that coronavirus testing be required for essential travel and that rigorous contact efforts be made involving people who have traveled to or from the UK in the last 14 days.
Between the lines: The Commission’s recommendation is not binding, but the message sent by the European leadership is clear: lift border closures as soon as possible and restore the flow of goods.
The whole picture: The massive disruptions in border flows and supply chains due to the new variant took place just days before the UK ended the Brexit transition period without a free trade agreement with the EU – the largest and closest trading partner of the EU. or.
Go deeper … Coronavirus mutation in the UK: What you need to know