Even though conditions in member-countries differ significantly, all Europeans are rightfully asking themselves when and in what order those measures will be lifted, EC President Ursula von der Leyen said while presenting the plan.
The EC says that restrictions on movement introduced by member-countries have saved thousands of lives but that they come with a high cost for the society and economy and cannot last forever.
Returning to normalcy after the coronavirus crisis will require a carefully coordinated European approach among member-countries based on science and the spirit of solidarity, Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said.
She added that the return to the normal situation would be long and gradual and that the consequences of the crisis would be felt for a long time. It will therefore be necessary to get used to living with the virus until an effective vaccine is found, she said.
The EC says in its plan that decisions on when restrictions will start to be relaxed need to be based on three criteria.
The first one is epidemiological, meaning that the spreading of the disease must have been significantly slowed down and stabilised.
The second criterion is for health systems to have sufficient capacity, including beds in intensive care units and the availability of medical workers and medical materials.
The third criterion refers to the ability to monitor the disease, including mass-scale testing to quickly isolate infected persons.
Von der Leyen warned that the presentation of the plan was not a sign of the beginning of relaxation of measures as that was within the remit of member-countries.