The European Union has decided to update its list of epidemiologically safe third countries from which non-essential travel is allowed, by removing Serbia and Montenegro from it, due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in their territories.

The decision was made after EU diplomats approved a proposal from Germany, which assumed the EU Council Presidency on July 1, and will be announced in the upcoming days, EU officials told Reuters.

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Following the exclusion of the two Western Balkan countries, in the EU safe travel list remain Algeria, Australia, Canada, China, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.

The EU27 also discussed removing Algeria and Morocco from the safe list, due to an increase in Coronavirus cases, however, the proposal was rejected, as new cases remain relative low, EU officials added.

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In late June, the Commission announced that citizens from 15 countries outside the EU would be allowed to enter the bloc, in an attempt to reboot the Union’s tourism industry. The safe travel list is not binding, as member states can decide on whether to implement it or not.

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