This photographic illustration shows a French passport and an international vaccination or prophylaxis certificate in front of Berlaymont, the headquarters of the European Commission on March 13, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium.
Thierry Monasse | Getty Images
LONDON – The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, on Wednesday proposed a vaccination certificate for citizens as a way to promote tourism-related activities this summer.
Tourism-dependent economies, such as Greece, have pushed for a common EU system that will restore some travel to the region this summer. These countries struggled with fewer visitors during 2020 and want to welcome people to avoid more serious economic scars.
As a result, the commission suggested that EU citizens be allowed to use a “digital green certificate” to prove they have been vaccinated against the virus; who have received a negative test of Covid-19; or have recovered after contracting the coronavirus.
The idea with the other two options in addition to getting vaccinated is to avoid criticism that the document will discriminate against those who have not yet received any shots. However, some nations, including France, are wary of the idea, as young people are the last to get a vaccine.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The certificate will ensure that the results, what it shows, the data and the minimum data set are mutually recognized in all states. members “.
“Our goal is to help member states restore freedom of movement in a safe, responsible and trustworthy way,” he added.
In addition, a vaccine certificate is a bit difficult to swallow for some EU nations, given the region’s policy of freedom of movement. Until the coronavirus arrived and, in most cases, European citizens could travel from one country to another without verifying their passport.
The European Commission also said on Wednesday that all vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency should be automatically recognized by other member states under this new system. However, countries that wish to do so could also recognize vaccines that have not yet been approved by the European regulator.
Hungary, for example, inoculates citizens with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and the Chinese shot. These have not yet been approved by the EMA.
The document is expected to contain only a very specific set of data: the name and date of birth of the citizen, the date of issue of the certificate, relevant information about a vaccine, test or recovery, and a unique identifier. .
“This cannot be withheld by the countries visited,” the commission said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Brussels-based institution also said the certificate will be free, available in the language of the issuing country as well as in English, and that it is only a temporary mechanism.
“It will be suspended when the World Health Organization declares the end of the international health emergency Covid-19,” the commission said in a document.
Wednesday’s proposal will be debated at the next European summit later this month. Speaking in February, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it could take three months to implement a digital certificate.
The different EU countries and the European Parliament must approve the commission’s proposal before it can be implemented.