Following the closure of its borders as part of the Covid lockdown, the EU is preparing to reopen its borders to tourism.

"The Commission proposes to allow entry to the EU for nonessential reasons not only for all persons coming from countries with a good epidemiological situation, but also all people who have received the last recommended dose of an EU-authorized vaccine," the EU said in a statement.

Travel to the EU's 27 member countries is mostly restricted to a few countries with low infection rates. Officials now hope to open borders and boost tourism during the summer season.
Officials in the EU are moving forward with plans to open the continent based on optimistic projections of a greater number of people receiving the Covid vaccination.

According to the EU's proposal, travellers would be allowed into European countries if they had been vaccinated with serums approved for use in the region. Member states would also be able to admit people who have received World Health Organization-approved emergency vaccines.

In the event of a resurgence of Covid infections in Europe, officials have proposed implementing a "emergency brake" to prevent virus variants from entering the country.

"This will allow member states to act quickly and temporarily limit to a strict minimum all travel from affected countries while appropriate sanitary measures are put in place," it said.