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The European Union on Thursday added Israel to its list of countries from which it will be allowed to accept citizens for leisure purposes, as Europe seeks ways to revive tourism and save it from harsh restrictions against COVID-19.

The opening of the borders for Israeli tourists comes as the EU moves towards easing the ban on unnecessary travel by foreign nationals, with only a few exceptions, including New Zealand and Australia.

It is recalled that two days ago, the European Commission submitted a proposal to ease restrictions on tourism from third countries. The basic premise, provided that the necessary technical specifications are met in vaccination certificates issued by countries outside Europe, is to enable vaccinated individuals to travel to the EU.

However, as a Commission official explained, only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or included in the WHO list for emergency use will be accepted. It is recalled that the Russian Sputnik V, which Greece already accepts for the exemption of travelers from the obligation to present a negative PCR test upon arrival, has not been approved by the EMA and has not been included in the WHO list.

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