Statement by the President of the European Parliament

“There is too much confusion. Each Member State is acting by itself. Citizens and businesses, on the other hand, expect a common response, clear rules on how to act, and transparency on how risk areas are defined. The situation is serious. Only coordination by the European Commission can ensure that provisions are standardised, and that interventions avoid discrimination and address the need of all EU citizens to have a well-defined framework.

“We must avoid chaos. To do so, it is urgent that national governments, who are responsible for health policy, ask the European Commission to play an active coordinating role in defining common rules. I am surprised that this has not already happened, as citizens expect it. We are still in the middle of an emergency and only clear EU-wide rules can allow an effective response to the further spread of COVID-19.”