Good news (at least partly) for the anemic tourism on the French Riviera, which is slow to regain its usual vibrancy: The EU members have agreed on the date of July 1st for this reopening and on a series of criteria for the future.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), which brings together the ambassadors of the European Union (EU) member states, reached an agreement on the evening of Friday, June 26, on a proposal to reopen external borders to fourteen countries on July 1st. These are Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Uruguay, the three Maghreb states (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), and the three Balkan states (Georgia, Montenegro, Serbia).
As it is still part of the EU during the transition period before Brexit, the United Kingdom is treated as a member state.
The list was to be finalized by Saturday evening and adopted by a qualified majority before Monday. Some capitals have requested an extension for further examination. It may be revised at regular intervals, but in any case, the United States, Russia, Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are currently excluded due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation being considered more severe there than in Europe.
China is an exception: Chinese travelers could enter Europe, but only if their country respects the reciprocity principle by allowing Europeans to travel to China. This is not the case at this stage, and it’s deemed unlikely in the short term.
