EC criticises Polish flight ban

The European Commission (EC) on Thursday criticised the Polish flight ban to several dozen countries which Warsaw introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus and said that there were other more adequate measures to stop the virus.

On Wednesday, Poland restricted air travel to 44 countries, including Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Spain, Romania and the United States.

In a statement sent to PAP, EC spokesperson Christian Wigand said that, in accordance with EU law, restrictions on flights must be necessary and proportional. He also mentioned the obligation to notify the EC and other member states of such decisions.

Brussels received relevant notification from Warsaw with regard to four EU member states included on the list.

The EC believes that other solutions, including social distancing, contact tracking and hygienic measures are more appropriate to contain the spread of the disease than restrictions on air travel, Wigand said, calling on the adoption of a shared approach in this respect across the EU, based on recommendations by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).