European Union, the 10 Challenges of the Year 2021: Ensuring the Free Movement of People (2)

Another issue related to the current health crisis is the guarantee of the principle of free movement of people within the European area.

This principle has indeed been undermined by border restrictions imposed by member states since the spring of 2020.

While the European Commission adopted a recommendation in October 2020 to prevent discrimination between European nationalities, the resurgence of the epidemic observed on the continent makes the issue still pressing. The European executive must also find a delicate balance between preserving citizens’ health and guaranteeing their freedoms.

To facilitate the free movement of people, the European Commission is working to promote the exchange of information between member states as well as to unify the modalities and results of PCR and antigen tests. The Court of Justice of the European Union may also condemn states for restrictive measures it deems discriminatory.