223 May 2021 (Digital edition)

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223 May 2021 (Digital edition)
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On the front page: EU Covid health pass to launch in June

A pan-European Covid health certificate scheme is on track to launch in June with the hope of opening up travel for the summer. The Digital Green Certificate aims to facilitate travel within the bloc (and the wider EEA) by authenticating and standardising proof of Covid tests and vaccinations. Arrivals in participating EU countries who have a certificate should face no additional entry restrictions compared to returning nationals. 

Learn more about the scheme and what it means for your summer travel plans on the front page, and continued on page 2

French news explained: Injection error may cause blood clots | Plans to ban short flights in France | 9% of population live more than 30 minutes from A&E

Accidental injection of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine into patients’ veins, rather than muscles, could be the cause of rare cases of blood clotting (thrombosis), a collective of 17 French doctors and researchers has suggested.

Read more about the findings of Du Côté de la Science on page 2 and also online

Plans to ban flights inside France where there is a rail service that takes less than two and-a-half hours may be ineffective, critics say. It could halt much-needed aircraft upgrades and allow SNCF to let its standards slip.

See how experts are responding to the plans on page 6

More than six million people live more than 30 minutes - seen as a crucial timescale - from an A&E department in France. The Association des Maires Ruraux de France (AMRF) wants to put pressure on the government to improve medical care in rural areas.

Understand recent French headlines with The Connexion’s in-depth analysis in our news sections pages 3-12. We cover French news in daily articles online along with further analysis in our monthly print editions. View our subscription options

Brexit and France: Could French pet passport save fees? | Ferries await UK go ahead | Britons shocked by level of post-Brexit difficulties

We look into whether obtaining a French pet passport for your dog could be an alternative to costly new UK “animal health certificates” (AHCs) if you live in the UK and travel regularly to a second home in France.

Irish Ferries plans to start Dover to Calais trips this month. Brittany Ferries hopes to reopen several suspended France-UK routes this month but is awaiting details of the UK’s new rules on foreign holidays.

And: Many people in the UK have been shocked by the level of difficulties Brexit has caused, former British ambassador to France Peter Ricketts has told Connexion. 

Understand the new rules and changes in our Brexit pages 4-5. Plus stay informed with the latest Brexit news in our Brexit section as it breaks 

Practical advice for living in France: Make sense of French car insurance | Paying tax-at-source with rental income | Can we divide up our plot to sell parts for building?

If you drive in France and live here, your car should have French insurance. We look at the key points to remember, from the papillon vert to the constat amiable.

Know what your options are in our Make Sense Of… column on page 19

Since 2019, tax on the income of any one year is now taken in two bites: first, during the year in which the income is earned, and secondly, as a top-up if there was a shortfall in dues paid, or a refund if too much has been paid. 

We break down the key things to know in our Money/Tax pages on page 33

What’s the process for dividing and selling land you own in France? Plus: We look at changes to the law limiting building on farmland, and how co-living is finally catching on. 

We answer your property questions and more in our Property section pages 37-39

French culture and lifestyle: Oscar triumph for WW2 heroine | France’s last live-in lighthouse keeper | A magical tour de France | How to plant oriental poppies

Resistance fighter Colette Marin-Catherine, 93, tells Connexion why she agreed to be in the Oscar-winning documentary of her ‘nightmare’ visit to the Nazi concentration camp where her brother died.

Read the full interview on page 13

This year’s French candidate for a place on the Unesco World Heritage site list, the Phare de Cordouan is the oldest lighthouse in the country and is the only one inhabited all year round.

Glimpse what life is like for keeper Benoît Jenouvrier on page 4 of French Living

Plus: Follow in the footsteps of France’s famous magicians from Blois to the German border, and see why papavers deserve top billing at this time of the year.

You’ll find more culture and lifestyle articles, alongside recipes, quizzes and more, in our French Living pull-out which comes free with every print edition.

Reader questions answered

You asked, we answered. Send your queries to questions@connexionfrance.com 

 

  • Can I walk my dog on hunting land?
  • How can I challenge an insurance payout?
  • What can I do with used gas bottles?

 

Get the answers to your questions on page 18. You can also find answers to reader questions in the Your Questions section online

 

Plus: 

History: Should France mark Napoleon’s 200th anniversary?

Business: The farmers selling to the public using vending machines

Food and drink: Rosé booms as UK imports soar

Property: Don’t pay the French online premium for tap water filter

Politics: How significant is abolition of the ENA?

Work: What’s in a number? Business Sirens and Sirets explained