Várhelyi says unilateral measures by the US against the EU ‘would not be justified’

Speaking after an informal video conference of EU health ministers on Friday (5 June), Cypriot Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides and Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi pushed back against suggestions that the United States would impose unilateral measures against European countries if Washington deems their response to the Ebola outbreak as insufficient.

The European Commission stressed that current EU measures are based on assessments from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which do not recommend travel restrictions at this stage and consider the risk level to Europe as “very low”.

The issue arose after reports that the United States had sent letters to EU capitals seeking details of national measures to prevent the spread of Ebola and implying that Washington could consider unilateral action if it judged European efforts inadequate.

"Indeed, the US government recently sent a letter to EU member states suggesting that we need to adopt travel measures to prevent the spread of Ebola," confirmed Minister Charalambides.

"I would like to underline what the Commission has said before and what the member states stated today, that for the time being the WHO advised against travel restrictions, and the guidance of the ECDC goes in the same direction," he said.

He also noted that the International Health Regulations, which guide the global response to public health emergencies, are binding on all WHO member states and provide the basis for the EU's approach.

"We should remain vigilant and follow closely the situation of the outbreak in cooperation with WHO and other international partners," he added.

European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi sought to reassure that close coordination with the United States is continuing despite the letters.

"We are in daily contact with the CDC, the American CDC, and we are also coordinating our efforts within the G7 where the US is also present," Várhelyi said.

He stressed that both sides share the same objective of preventing any international spread of the disease, but argued that current assessments support the measures already in place.

"I think that any unilateral measure at this stage would not be justified," Várhelyi said.

The comments come as many European citizens will already have booked travel to the forthcoming World Cup, which takes place in the US and starts next week on 11 June.

The EU is not considering halting direct flights from affected regions. Instead, the focus remains on screening travellers before departure.

"All potential passengers leaving towards the European Union from that region are tested at the exit, and if they produce symptoms or we find positive tests, then they cannot travel to the European Union," he said.

"We think that these measures at this stage are sufficient to prevent any potential spread of this virus in Europe."