EU Commission Calls On Belgium To Reconsider Extending Ban On Non-Essential Travel

The European Commission was taken aback by reports on Belgium's decision to extend the ban on non-essential travel over the pandemic and has asked Brussels to consider more targeted measures, commission spokesman Christian Wigand said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2021) The European Commission was taken aback by reports on Belgium's decision to extend the ban on non-essential travel over the pandemic and has asked Brussels to consider more targeted measures, commission spokesman Christian Wigand said on Monday.

Last week Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that the ban, which has been in effect since January 27, would be maintained until at least April 18 in an effort to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

"We have asked Belgium to replace that [ban on non-essential travel] with more targeted measures," Wigand said at a briefing.

The spokesman noted that the commission was "surprised" by such a decision, which it gathered from media reports, while the official letter from Belgium only mentioned the deadline of April 1.

Wigand specified that Brussels' decision to extend the ban was in violation of the "principle of proportionality" within EU law, which the member states have to observe.

Belgium was among six EU nations which the commission called upon last month to adopt less strict measures on movements in accordance with the recommendations of the European Council. According to Wigand, the commission has received replies only from Finland, Germany and Belgium, with the deadline to respond expiring on Monday.