EU needs coordinated rules on quarantines, tests - EU executive chief

The European Union needs to establish common rules on quarantines and COVID-19 testing to end a confusing patchwork of rules across the bloc, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

The European Union needs to establish common rules on quarantines and COVID-19 testing to end a confusing patchwork of rules across the bloc, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. The situation in Europe was becoming "more worrisome", but EU countries had at least agreed a common "traffic light" system to guide them on whether non-essential travellers such as tourists were coming from safe or risky regions.

"I think it is also necessary that there will be an agreement on the time of quarantine or the necessity of testing. Here I call on the stakeholders that we also find an agreement. This is important," Von der Leyen told reporters before the start of a two-day meeting of EU leaders.