Fully vaccinated Americans will be able to travel to the European Union this summer, the head of the bloc’s executive body said Sunday.

In an interview with The New York Times, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the union’s 27 member countries are expected to ease restrictions to allow for visits from American tourists who have received vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency. 

“The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,” von der Leyen said. “This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union.”

The three vaccines currently authorized for emergency use in the United States — Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — have all been approved by the EMA. 

Von der Leyen did not provide an exact timeline for when the changes might happen and added that any shifts in the “epidemiological situation” could alter the union’s plans. The European Union shut down nonessential travel from most countries last year to limit the spread of COVID-19.

But von der Leyen said the quick pace of vaccinations in the U.S. has made officials open to the idea of welcoming Americans again, which would give industries that rely on tourism a much-needed boost. As of Sunday, nearly 140 million Americans, or 42.2% of the population, have received at least one vaccine dose. Nearly 95 million (28.5%) are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Discussions have been taking place for several weeks between the EU and the United States on a certification system that would allow citizens to prove their vaccination status while traveling, The Times reported.

Andy Slavitt, White House senior COVID-19 adviser, told CNN the EU’s openness to restoring travel from the U.S. is an affirmation of the American vaccination program. 

"What the world is basically saying is, they're looking at the U.S., they're looking at the success of our vaccination program, they're looking at the reduction of disease, and while they know we're not done yet, they're saying those Americans are safe to come to our country without risk of spreading COVID-19," Slavitt said.

"Think about that. That's incredible. Just a few months ago, we were the nation in the world that was one of the most cut off from travel. That just shows what an incredible few months we've had vaccinating Americans. "