EU Recommends Member States Lift US Tourism Restrictions
Voice of America
The European Union (EU) Wednesday announced it is recommending that member nations lift COVID-19 restrictions on tourists from the United States, potentially making it easier for U.S. tourists to travel to Europe.
Nonessential travel from the U.S. and other nations had been banned in the EU as a precaution to avoid the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. But EU member representatives, meeting in Brussels, agreed Wednesday to add the U.S. to the list of nations from which the ban may be lifted. The recommendation is non-binding, and national governments have authority to require test results or vaccination records and to set other entry conditions. EU officials said the decision to add the U.S. to the list was based on the pace of the U.S. vaccination process, among other factors.FILE - A child kicks a football in front of a mural of the country's first Black president and leader of the ruling African National Congress Nelson Mandela, in Soweto, South Africa, as the country celebrates Freedom Day, on April 27, 2024. FILE - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, center, dances to music as he attends Freedom Day celebrations in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 27, 2024. FILE - Main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party leader John Steenhuisen waves to supporters in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 17, 2024, at the party's manifesto launch ahead of the 2024 general elections. FILE - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema at the party's manifesto launch in Durban, South Africa, on Feb. 10, 2024. FILE - Former South African president, Jacob Zuma, sings and dances after addressing his supporters of the UMkhonto WeSizwe, (MK) party outside the High court in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 11, 2024.
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