Brussels/Frankfurt, 25 February 2021 - Commenting on the controversial border closures within the EU, VDMA Executive Director Thilo Brodtmann says:

"It is right that the EU Commission criticizes countries such as Germany and Belgium, which have independently introduced stricter entry rules, and that the Commission considers these restrictions too far-reaching. All EU countries agreed on a common approach to travel regulations earlier this month. It is very annoying and also not in the spirit of solidarity that some states can simply throw these agreements overboard.

The first pandemic wave has shown that the virus does not care about national borders. Closing borders does not protect against the dangerous virus mutations that are already spreading across national borders.

On the contrary, border closures have significant economic consequences. For a globally connected industry like mechanical and plant engineering, whose supply chains run right across Europe, an open internal market is essential. Free movement of goods and people is necessary to maintain value chains. It is the EU's responsibility to protect the internal market and ensure that it functions even in times of the pandemic. The Council decisions taken at the beginning of February are well suited to strike a balance between a functioning internal market and health protection.

Instead of arguing about borders, the heads of state and government should use the summit to continue working on the common European approach. The EU needs a coordinated approach right now. But the states must then also stick to their decisions."