The EU Commission has reacted to the ban levelled on EU countries by President Donald Trump of the United States, saying that the decision was made “without consultation”.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Council president Charles Michel reacting to the news on Thursday, released a statement saying: “The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to improve a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.”
The statement added that the EU is taking “strong” measures to limit the spread of the virus.
Given Italy’s nationwide shutdown and other measures, Ms Von der Leyen and Mr Michel also dismissed President Trump’s suggestion that the EU has not done enough in fighting the disease.
“The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus,” they said.
Mr Michel said: “We will assess the situation today. Economic disruption must be avoided.”
Mr Michel underlined that “Europe is taking all necessary measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.”
President Trump had on Thursday announced a travel ban from EU countries to the United States for 30-days as he responds to mounting pressure to take action against a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.
Trump had said the travel ban will start from Friday at midnight ET, but he says the United Kingdom will be exempt from the ban.
Other exemptions, Trump said, will be made for Americans who have been screened for the virus.
Donald Trump in a state of the nation address, where he announced the travel ban to the coronavirus that has been labelled global pandemic by the World Health Organisation, said:
“We are marshalling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people,” Trump said in a prime-time televised address from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
“This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.”
After triggering confusion by suggesting trade with Europe would also be suspended, Trump clarified that “trade will in no way be affected.”
“The restriction stops people not goods,” he said on Twitter moments after his speech.
The travel ban does not apply to all of Europe. It only applies to those in the Schengen zone: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Those exemptions include all US legal permanent residents, citizens and some of their family members, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.