EUROPA OPENS for tourism - European Commission presents proposal for European digital passport.
The European Commission has presented the proposal for the European digital passport. a digital green certificate, possibly available in a few weeks, which "should make it easier to resume travel". The announcement was made by EC President Ursula Von der Leyen. The application will be free and will contain information about the owner: if he was vaccinated or if he was infected with COVID-19. The results of the PCR tests will also be found there.
"We want to help the Member States to restore freedom of movement in a reliable way", Von der Leyen said today during the presentation of the digital certificate. Document "Will ensure that the results, with minimum data, are mutually recognized in all Member States", she added.
The digital passport will be in both the official language of the issuing Member State and the English language, and the information will be displayed via a QR code, easy to scan directly from the phone. For those who do not have a smartphone, the certificate can also be on paper.
Brussels intends to call on governments to eliminate quarantine or request a PCR test for digital certificate holders.
The passport will only be in force until the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the end of the pandemic.
The new certificate, which must continue to receive the approval of the Member States and a European Parliament, will not only be used for air travel, but also for those traveling by car or other means of transport, according to Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders.
It will be temporary, throughout the pandemic, until the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the end of the COVID-19 crisis. According to Reynders, Brussels will not propose its use for other purposes, but only for travel. The proposal is to the liking of southern countries, highly dependent on tourism.
The Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said it was good news that Brussels had made the proposal known. In addition, he stressed that the authorities are already working to adapt the European regulation of the COVID-19 certificate to Spanish law and the digital content it will have.
However, other countries, such as France or Belgium, have expressed reluctance, arguing that the certificate may discriminate against those who have not been vaccinated. In this regard, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the document should not be used to facilitate travel until a large part of the population has had the opportunity to be vaccinated.
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