BRUSSELS (PA) – The European Union’s executive body on Wednesday proposed issuing certificates allowing EU residents to travel freely in the bloc of 27 nations until the summer, as long as they were vaccinated, tested negative for COVID-19, or recovered from the disease.
Given the summer and tourism-dependent countries, which look forward to returning visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission is planning to create certificates to facilitate travel between EU member states. The plan is due to be discussed at a summit of EU leaders next week,
“We all want the tourist season to start. We can’t afford to miss another season, “European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova told Czech public radio. “Tourism, as well as culture and other sectors that are dependent on tourism, are suffering terribly. We are talking about tens of millions of jobs. ”
The subject of vaccine certificates has been discussed for weeks in the EU, where it has proven to be divisible. The tourism industry and southern European countries with tourism-dependent economies such as Greece and Spain have pressed for the rapid introduction of a program that would help eliminate quarantines and testing requirements for tourists.
But several other EU members, including France, argued that it would be premature and discriminatory to introduce such permits, as a large majority of EU citizens have not had access to vaccines so far.
To ensure the participation of all Member States, the commission proposed the free delivery of “digital green certificates” to EU residents who can prove that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, but also to those who have tested negative for the virus or can prove that they have recovered. from her.
“Vaccination will not be a precondition for travel,” the European Commission said. “All EU citizens have a fundamental right to free movement within the EU, and this applies regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated. The digital green certificate will also facilitate the exercise of this right through test and recovery certificates. ”
According to data compiled by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, less than 5% of European citizens have been fully vaccinated due to delays in the delivery and production of vaccines. The European Commission says it remains confident it can meet its target of vaccinating 70% of the EU’s adult population by the end of the summer.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the travel certificates “will help boost tourism and the economies that rely heavily on it”. The European aviation industry has called on EU governments to ensure that permits are operational in time for the peak of the summer travel season.
The Commission has proposed that all vaccines labeled by the European Medicines Agency be automatically recognized, but has given governments the opportunity to include other vaccines such as Russian Sputnik or Sinovac from China, which have not received EU market authorization.
The European Commission has guaranteed that “a very high level of data protection will be ensured” and said the certificates would be issued in digital format for display on either smartphones or paper.
EU officials also hope that vaccine certificates will convince Member States that they have introduced travel restrictions to slow down new infections to lift their measures. The EU Executive Army has previously warned six countries that their travel restriction measures, which go as far as banning non-essential travel in Belgium, could undermine the EU’s basic principle of free travel and affect the single market.
The Commission said certificates should be suspended once the World Health Organization declares an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If approved by EU leaders, the proposal will have to be approved by EU parliamentarians to enter into force.
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Karel Janicek from Prague contributed to this story.
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