Europe Plans To Reboot Travel With A Digital Health Pass
After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people in the world are longing for a European vacation. People living in Europe themselves can’t wait to travel across borders to other lands. For this reason, the European Commission has announced plans to implement a “Digital Green Certificate” with which to track COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. Using this method, the EU hopes to be able to allow cross-border tourism again and help to stimulate economic recovery in Europe.
While currently, this relates only to travelers within the European Union, it is likely that similar plans will be made for international travelers.
EU ‘Digital Green Certificate’
The Digital Green Certificate will indicate whether the holder has been vaccinated or alternatively, has tested negative for COVID-19. This would allow safe travel within the EU and allow people living in Europe to travel more easily to other neighboring countries.
The EU believes the necessary digital infrastructure to facilitate the use of the certificates can be organized by summer.
How will this work?
Basically, each testing center, hospital or health authority will have its own digital signature. All of these signatures will be stored in a secure database in each European country. A system will then be developed where all certificate signatories can be verified across Europe.
The digital certificate will be stored on a mobile device. However, citizens can, if they wish, request a paper version. Both versions will display a QR code, containing the necessary information, along with a digital seal to ensure the certificate is authentic.
All EU member states will accept the Digital Green Certificate. This will ensure that the coronavirus restrictions in the EU can be lifted in a coordinated manner. Each EU citizen or third-country national, legally resident in the EU, will be exempt from free movement restrictions once they have the certificate. However, there is some leeway – if a member state still requires Digital Green Certificate holders to take a test or quarantine, that state must notify the European Commission and all other member states to justify its decision.
Which vaccines are covered?
Countries in the EU must accept vaccination certificates for vaccines authorized for EU marketing. However, member countries could decide to extend the waiver of free movement to EU residents who have received a different vaccine. Currently, the EU commission is also coordinating with the World Health Organization to ensure that the Digital Green Certificates will also be recognized elsewhere in the world.
Concerns have been raised over privacy, as well as the viability of launching such an ambitious program before many Europeans have been vaccinated. However, the proposal is to be discussed again next week by EU leaders.
European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the certificate “will respect data protection, security and privacy.”
“The Digital Green Pass should facilitate Europeans’ lives. The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad — for work or tourism,” von der Leyen added.
Readers can find out more information about the Digital Green Certificate here.
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