Joint statement on new EU recommendations for travel from China
As part of an agreement reached by EU member states, airlines represented by A4E (Airlines for Europe) and IATA (International Air Transport Association), along with airports represented by ACI Europe, are protesting the requirement that passengers travelling between China and the EU must test negative for COVID-19. Joint statement on new EU recommendations for travel from China.
As a result, such a recommendation contradicts the assessment published by the European Centre for
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirmed on 3 January 20231 that the current surge in COVID-19 cases in China is not expected to affect the epidemiological situation in the EU/EEA. In addition to the higher immunity acquired by Europeans, the COVID-19 variants circulating in China are already present in the EU/EEA. Thus, systematically testing incoming Chinese travellers cannot be considered scientifically based or risk-based.
To track COVID-19, A4E, ACI Europe, and IATA support moving away from testing passengers. Testing wastewater from airports and aircraft arriving from China offers an alternative. Technical and operational practicalities must be carefully considered when deploying wastewater sampling at airports and planes. Airlines and airports will do everything they can to facilitate such selection – provided that it is carried out by competent health authorities, as airline and airport personnel are not qualified to do so.
Despite the regrettable fact that yesterday’s recommendations are mainly knee-jerk reactions, EU member states must uniformly implement them – following the appendices to the EU Aviation Health Safety Protocol to be published by EASA and ECDC in the coming days. Passenger testing and wastewater testing will be covered in these appendices.
By mid-January 2023, A4E, ACI Europe, and IATA look forward to further engagement with the EU on a reassessment of these recommendations. EU member states and China must work together and reconsider their requirements for systematic pre-departure testing of travellers based on scientific risk assessments as soon as possible.
EU member states and China must work together and reconsider their requirements for systematic pre-departure testing of travellers based on scientific risk assessments as soon as possible.
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