Brussels gets involved. The European Commission convened a meeting this Thursday to “discuss (…) possible measures for a coordinated approach” of EU statesin the face of the explosion of Covid-19 cases in China. "In light of the situation of the pandemic in China", the European executive will convene a committee on Thursday morning bringing together representatives of the ministries of health of the Twenty-Seven, said a spokesperson for the Commission. The aim is to “discuss with member states and EU (health) agencies possible measures for a coordinated European approach,” she said. After the sudden end this month of the "zero Covid" policy in China, which led to a very large wave of contamination in the country, several States in the world are concerned about the possibility of the spread from the Asian country. new variants of the virus. Italy has already decided on Wednesday to impose compulsory tests on all travelers coming from China. A measure already taken Japan, and which the United States also adopted on Wednesday.In France, increased monitoring of the situation Other countries, such as France, are waiting: the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron has "requested suitable measures for the protection" of the French from the government, which ensures "to follow very carefully the development of the situation in China".Paris says it is "ready to study all the useful measures that could be implemented as a result, in conjunction with France's European partners, and within the legal framework that exists today".Asked Thursday morning about France Inter, Brigitte Autran, the president of Covars, the body that succeeded the Scientific Council, maintained that there was no interest for France in ordering unilateral measures: "We must whether at European level.“In addition, she recalled that the tests did not prevent” the virus from entering the territory “."The only potential interest (...) would be to do a screening test to analyze what type of variant" carried by passengers from China, she argued: this would make it possible to know the variant in circulation.Thus, if it is already circulating in France, the risk would be lower.The situation would be more worrying if ever a new variant, little or not present in France, were detected.Preventing countries from going it alone The European Commission wants to prevent certain EU Member States from going it alone by adopting restrictions at their borders without consultation, as at the very beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020. On the recommendation of the Commission , the Twenty-Seven had agreed in early December to remove all restrictions on entry into the EU for travelers from third countries and return to the pre-pandemic situation.While reserving, however, “an emergency brake”: the possibility of reintroducing restrictive measures “in a coordinated manner” if the epidemiological situation so requires.