The European Commission adopted a recommendation on Tuesday calling on the bloc’s 27 member states to lift the blanket ban on flights and travel from the UK in order to “guarantee essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions”, while also including non- essential travel is discouraged.
Why it matters: A new coronavirus variant in England that turned out to be 70% more transmissible has prompted dozens of countries to ban travel from the UK this week, in a scene reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic.
- The closures forced miles of trucks stuck in rows at the UK port of Dover, which sees about 10,000 trucks a day and accounts for about 20% of UK goods trade.
- The European Commission recommended making coronavirus testing mandatory for essential travelers and conducting rigorous contact tracking efforts involving people who have traveled to or from the UK in the past 14 days.
Between the lines: The Commission recommendation is not binding, but the message from European leaders is clear: lift border closures as soon as possible and restore the flow of goods.
The big picture: The massive disruptions to border flows and supply chains resulting from the new variant came just days before the UK would end the Brexit transition period without a free trade agreement with the EU – its largest and closest trading partner.
Go deeper … The Coronavirus Mutation in the UK: What You Need to Know