Borders don't stop the virus, but they damage the economy

The EPP Group calls for a better coordination of Corona measures across Europe. This afternoon, the European Parliament will adopt a Resolution on this. Andreas Schwab MEP, EPP Group Internal Market Spokesman, and Peter Liese MEP, EPP Group Health Spokesman, stated:

"The increase in the number of infections and deaths in some European countries is worrying. We must take effective measures. The Corona rules of the EU Member States are still an unmanageable patchwork quilt. The uncoordinated border closures based on nationality and not on test results, as in the case of Hungary, different quarantine obligations and contradictory classification in risk zones make life unnecessarily difficult for citizens, especially in the border regions. Such chaos decreases public acceptance of the measures. We need to unify and simplify the rules in Europe as soon as possible.

This is important for the protection of citizens' health, but also economically: we must ensure that our internal market functions properly, even in pandemic times, so that medicines, protective equipment and food are available at all times throughout the EU. Free movement of goods and services must remain possible. The border closures must be notified to the European Commission in advance in individual cases and justified."