The French President Emanuel Macron has warned that the external borders of the Schengen Area and the Schengen Associated States may remain shut until September, as a measure against another wave of Coronavirus infections in the territory that may be caused by an outer factor, travellers coming from the US and other countries.

President Macron raised the possibility of the external borders remaining closed until September during a videoconference last Friday with trade unions, thus prohibiting entry into the territory to most of the non-EEA travellers.

His stance was reported by France based media, according to which Macron resonated his idea on the fact that the pandemic is evolving at a different pace around the world, and “did not affect all countries at the same time.”.

“Emmanuel Macron notably cited the example of the United States, where the coronavirus crisis is delayed by several weeks and which will, therefore, reach its peak later. But also, that of Africa, where the situation is developing differently. In Asia, a second peak may occur,” French media reported.

The President’s comments follow a move of the Elysée palace to prolong the lockdown until April 15.

Only last week, The European Commission invited the European states part of the Schengen Area, and the associated states to prolong the external border closure for non-essential travel to EU for another month, until May 15.

The Commission has assessed that these countries are still exposed to the pandemic; therefore, a coordinated approach to the prolongation is necessary, with the same end date and in a uniform manner.

So far, all Schengen Member states and the four Schengen Associated States – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – have applies the travel restrictions as agreed by the European Commission and the European Council on March 17, as a measure to contain the further spread od the virus within the block.

Possible further prolongation of the travel restriction beyond after May 15 will be assessed again, based on the evolution of the epidemiological situation.

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