France, Germany Say No Plans to Require PCR Tests for EU Travel

(Bloomberg) -- France and Germany said they have no plans to introduce requirements that vaccinated visitors from other European Union countries take PCR tests, even as Italy and Greece have imposed such a rule.

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after an EU summit in Brussels that France is closely evaluating the fast-spreading omicron variant but won’t take steps that overly restrict freedom of movement within the EU. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was following France’s lead on the issue.

The EU has been trying to maintain its ability to coordinate travel rules even as member states hastily implement a variety of restrictions to combat the fast-spreading omicron variant. The cascade of steps is raising concerns that the EU’s digital Covid certificate, which has allowed hassle-free travel in Europe, is breaking down amid the omicron variant’s spread. 

“We should coordinate as much as is possible to protect the free movement of people,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters after the summit. “It is better if we all do the same as much as is possible.”

Earlier this week, France announced that it’s banning tourists and almost all business travelers from the U.K., where omicron cases have been spiraling.

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