The European Council’s adopted a common approach to travel within the EU.
It involves a traffic light system detailing countries and regions that are safe for people to travel to and from.
The list will be updated on a weekly basis, but there are questions over how quickly it will be implemented.
The EU’s so-called ‘traffic light’ system has been agreed by the 27 member states at a meeting of the European Union’s General Affairs Council in Luxembourg today.
Under the new scheme, countries will be assigned a green, amber, or red coding by the European Centre for Disease Control – this will all depend on matters such as the incidence rate per 100,000 people, as well as the positive test rate in a given population.
While industry will welcome Ireland’s signing up to the system, there’s concern from airlines over the pace at which the new system will be implemented and whether it will make any real difference on the ground, including at Shannon Airport.
Ryanair has already threatened to close its base there, in the absence of concrete measures. It’s told Clare FM it’ll make a decision this week.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has indicated that it would return the Shannon-Heathrow service sooner than planned if restrictions for UK-bound travellers were eased.
Aer Lingus CEO Sean Doyle says they are in a position to bring it back to Shannon, if certain conditions are met.
Locally, it’s been suggested that Ireland’s testing and tracing system may not yet be adequate to bring European travel back to Shannon.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar last week confirmed that a rescue package is being put together for the aviation sector, which includes funding for the Midwest Airport.
Shannon Sinn Fein councillor Donna McGettigan says this support needs to run in tandem with an enhanced test and trace strategy.
The European Affairs Minister says any travel system is a ‘moot issue’ at the moment, due to Ireland’s restrictions and incidence rates.
There are currently no countries on Ireland’s green list, which the new traffic light system will replace.
Junior Minister Thomas Byrne says it’s not likely to benefit many people at this point.
