Spain, France, and Germany call for common rules to reopen internal EU borders

MADRID /PARIS / BERLIN – Spain has urged its EU partners to establish common rules for reopening borders and movement within the Schengen zone as the period of general isolation measures imposed to contain the novel coronavirus begin to expire.

“[Spain] must cooperate with its European partners to put common rules that will allow the restoration of movement on European territory,” Spanish Foreign Minister Ms. Arancha González Laya told La Cadena SER radio station

“There must be common rules throughout the Schengen Area to open internal borders and establish rules for opening external borders, even though EU countries have set different dates for the reopening of their borders,” González said.

France and Germany have called for the reopening of internal Schengen borders as soon as possible. The Head of French Parliament and his German counterpart made a joint statement calling for the quick reopening after weeks of closure aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

“France and Germany must act in favor of an immediate restoration of movement within the Schengen areas when the conditions are right,” the two said in their joint statement.

Europe’s internal borders are expected to be open from sometime in mid-June, but so far European countries have taken separate decisions, despite calls from EU for further dialogue.