Almost a year after the development of the EU COVID digital certificate, the European Commission intends to make several changes.
In a proposal presented on Thursday, 3 February, the EU Commission recommended several amendments to the regulation on the issuance and use of the COVID certificate, while proposing that the same amendments remain in force for another year.
"The European Commission proposes to extend the EU COVID digital certificate by one year until 30 June 2023. The Commission has adopted the proposal to ensure that the European Parliament and the Council can complete the legislative procedure in a timely manner before the expiry of this Regulation."
In addition to extending the use for another year, the new regulation also provides for some notable changes:
- Inclusion of antigen tests performed in laboratories as tests for which certificates may be issued due to the high demand for COVID-19 tests.
- Ensure that the correct number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine is included in the certificates even when the EU citizen has received the doses in different Member States.
- Issuance of the certificate of those participating in the tests for the new COVID-19 vaccines, in an attempt to encourage the further development of such vaccines.
At the same time, the EU Commission points out that the use of EU COVID digital certificates for internal purposes remains an issue that should be decided by Member States for their own territory. The EU Commission also points out that the certificate regulation does not prescribe or prevent the use of the document for such purposes.
"Where a Member State establishes a system of COVID-19 certificates for internal purposes, it should continue to ensure that the COVID digital certificate UE it is also fully accepted for these purposes ", the Commission explains in the press release.
The EU Commission also encourages Member States to align the validity of certificates used for domestic purposes with the period of validity set for travel at EU level.
The EU Commission has called on the EU Parliament and the Council to adopt the proposal as soon as possible.