The EU is deciding today which countries’ travellers outside the bloc and the Schengen area should be allowed in and which not from 1 July? At first this may seem a practical decision. But it's also inherently political. Which is why opinion is divided amongst EU countries /1

Germany favours strict criteria. If an outside country has high rates of #covid19 infection, its citizens will be temporarily barred. If infection rates are similar/lower than EU average.If it has good track + trace mechanisms in place, then willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! BUT /2

Some EU members worry barring countries over #Covid19 could cause political friction with allies or worsen already-existing tensions. EU relations with Washington and with Moscow are already delicate, shall we say. Then there’s the issue of reciprocity.. /3

France is keen on this. Ie If a country bars entry to EU/Schengen tourists then the barred nation should be allowed to return the “favour”, thinks Paris. Also discussed: if non-EU country grants access to EU visitors, should the EU be diplomatically obliged to respond in kind? /4

So don’t expect a speedy decision. The EU hopes the travel criteria will be decided by the end of play today. The actual list of barred countries is scheduled (but not certain) to be agreed and published on Friday /5

Don’t forget: the EU/Schengen travel list would be constantly updated after 1 July, depending on #covid19 (and political?) changes in the weeks to come. /6

Economics also comes into play here, of course. Tourism bring much-needed revenue into #COVIDー19 ravaged economies. This further complicates EU countries’ ability to come to a unanimous decision /7