The negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Council have reached an initial agreement regarding the implementation of a digital certificate to fight against Covid-19. Its aim is to facilitate the freedom of movement during this pandemic.
The document will allow European citizens who have been vaccinated, recently recovered, or have a recent negative Covid test to travel to European countries.
The agreement was reached during the “trilogue” between the European Parliament, the EU Council, and the European Commission. Starting from the initial proposal of the European executive, the Brussels institutions agreed on a pass that will be called the “EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate (European Digital Covid-19 Certificate).”
This certificate must certify that its holder has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, or has recently received a negative test, or has recovered from the infection. To provide access to these tests to as many people as possible, the European Commission has committed to mobilizing at least 100 million euros from the emergency support instrument for the purchase of infection screening tests, with additional funding exceeding 100 million euros if necessary.
The President of the Committee on Civil Liberties and rapporteur, Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES), stated: “Even though today’s agreement does not fully meet the European Parliament’s demands, it is a major step forward from the status quo for millions of EU citizens. The European Digital Covid Certificate will restore free movement within the EU as Member States begin to lift movement restrictions across Europe. This agreement is the first step in getting the Schengen area back on track.”
