COVID-19, the EU commission recommend measures in order to assure the transport of goods and essential services in the home market



The EU commission has published today of the lines guides on the measures of management of the frontiers by the States of the EU with the scope to safeguard the health of the European citizens, mass in danger from the spread of virus COVID-19, and meanwhile to allow the transports of essential assets and the development of essential services. "Our measures in order to contain the coronavirus epidemic - the president of the EU commission has explained, Ursula von der Leyen - will be effective only if we coordinate ourselves to European level. We must adopt exceptional measures in order protect the health of our citizens. But we must assure that the essential goods and services continue to flow in our home market. This is the only way in order to prevent the deficiency of medical equipments or food. It is not alone - it has specified von der Leyen - an economic issue: our only market is a key element of the European solidarity. I am discussing with all the Member States - it has concluded the president of the EU commission - so as to face this challenge together, as Union".

Emphasizing that the field of the transports and mobility is essential in order to guarantee the economic continuity, the lines guide evidence that the services of emergency transport must inside have the priority of the system of transport, for example through preferred lanes, and that the control measures would not have to compromise the continuity of the economic activity and would have to preserve the operation of the supplying chains. "The transport of goods without interruptions - specific the document - is fundamental in order to guarantee the availability of the goods, in particular of essential assets which alimentary supplies, comprised cattle, medical equipments and supplies and protecting essential things. More in general terms, such measures would not have to cause serious interruptions of the chains of supplying, the essential services of general interest and of the national economies and the economy of the EU in its together".

Moreover the lines guide specify that "the work-related trips you turn to assure the transport of the goods and of the services they would have to be allowed. In such context - it becomes clear - the facility of sure displacements for the attache's to the transports, included truck drivers and machinists, pilots and crews, through the internal and external frontiers, is a key factor in order to guarantee an adequate circulation of the goods and the essential staff".

A precise document that "whereby the Member States impose restrictions to the transport of goods and passengers for reasons of public health, this would have to happen only if such restrictions are transparent, that is validated from declarations or documents publics, or debitamente motivated, that is must be specified the reasons and the connection with emergency COVID-19 and the justifications must have scientific and which supported bases from the recommendations of the European Center and World Health Organization for the prevention of diseases (ECDC)". Moreover the restrictions would have to be "prorated, that is not to go beyond how much it is closely necessary", and they would have to be "relevant and specific for the modalities, that is to say that the restrictions for any of the various modalities of transport must be adapted to such modality". At last the restrictions "would not have to be discriminatory".

The lines guide rimarcano that "eventual previewed restrictions for transport would have to be communicated to the Commission and all the other Member States in a timely manner and, in any case, before they are put into effect, made blank the specific norms that are applied to the measures of emergency in the field of aviation".

Relatively to the supply of the goods, the document emphasizes that "the Member States would have to guarantee the free circulation of all the goods. In particular, the producing would have to assure chain of supplying of essential which medicines, medical equipments, essential and perishable food and cattle. No restriction would have to be tax to the circulation of the goods in the only market, in particular (but not limitedly a) essential, sanitary and perishable assets, in particular food, if not debitamente justified. The Member States would have to designate lanes privileged for the transport of goods (for example through ‘preferred lanes’) and to take in consideration the renunciation to on the weekends existing prohibition of circulation".

Moreover - the document continues - "they would not have to be ulterior taxes certifications for the goods that circulate legal in the only market of the EU. It goes noticed - it is emphasized - than, second the European Authority for alimentary safety, not there are tests that the alimony constitutes a source or means of transmission of the COVID-19".

Between the other recommendations, the lines guide find that, "if necessary, the workers of the transports, in particular but not only those which deliver essential assets, they would have to be able circular through the frontiers and their safety would not have in some way to be compromised" and that, "if necessary, the specific nodes of transport, as for example ports, airports and logistics centers, would have to be strengthened".