France opens borders, smokers cross to Belgium to buy cigarettes

European nations eased border controls on Monday as coronavirus cases declined after three months of lockdown. The Schengen area of 22 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland operates control-free crossings. But for three months they have been mostly closed. Officials hope lifting internal border controls will allow a gradual reopening to other countries from July and revive a tourism industry that flat-lined during the lockdown. The tourism sector makes up almost 10% of the EU economy and even more in Mediterranean countries.

Before the crisis, about 3.5 million people crossed an internal EU border every day, according to a 2019 European Parliament report, some 1.7 million of them commuters. Many of the latter are now working from home, while continued restrictions and health concerns are expected to control tourism and business travel.