Entry limits aimed at decelerating pandemic: Finland tells EC

Finland on Thursday told the European Commission (EC) that the ongoing entry restrictions imposed by Finland were necessary to slow down the spread of the pandemic.

The Ministry of Interior in its reply to a letter of the EC sent to Finland on 22 February 22 also said that the restrictions are necessary especially to prevent the transmission of new virus variants, said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release.

The EC sent the letter to Finland about the restrictions imposed by Finland on the free movement of EU citizens in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission sent similar letters to Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and Hungary.

The Ministry of the Interior prepared Finland’s response, in cooperation with other key ministries.

The response stated that the decisions to impose the restrictions respect the obligations enshrined in the Constitution and are in line with the human and fundamental rights treaties binding on Finland.

The aim of the restrictions on movement that are currently deemed necessary is to safeguard public health and, in particular, every individual’s right of life.

The government of Finland has submitted a proposal to parliament on measures to improve the health security at our borders. These measures will make it possible to move away from the wide-ranging restrictions at Finland’s borders and transition towards more targeted measures that better take into account the health risk posed by individual passengers. This approach is in line with the recommendations made by the Council of the EU.