Representatives from the 27 member states of the European Union approved a recommendation made by the European Council to start allowing vaccinated visitors from outside the bloc into the EU. Commission spokesman Christian Wigand told reporters on Wednesday that while an agreement has been made, the EU Council must still formally adopt it. With the summer tourist season quickly approaching, leaders are eager to find safe ways to welcome vaccinated people in.

The EU’s external borders closed in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and member states have been constantly updating a list of countries from which visitors could visit for the past year. As the plan takes shape for vaccinated visitors to enter, the EU is also making an emergency plan to close borders, should the pandemic worsen due to travel or increased variants.

This is great news for Pioneers and other workers who have been waiting a whole year to arrive on the continent. Many missionaries, teachers, and other religious workers have been in a year-long holding pattern and now they can begin to plan for their departure to the field. Additionally, increased vaccinations and open borders will allow for summertime camps, which are an important resource for sharing the love of Christ throughout Europe. Pray for both long-term and short-term missions in Europe this summer. Pray that after a year of isolation, Europeans will be eager to gather and hungry to know their Creator and Savior.