EU Recommends Member States Lift US Tourism Restrictions 

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.