ARCHIVED - EU approves digital Covid Certificate scheme which will take effect from July 1

Individual member states will be responsible for issuing the certificate to their own residents

The European Parliament and the Council handling the regulation governing the EU Digital COVID Certificate have reached agreement about the format and structure of the EU Digital Covid Certificate.

This means that the certificate (previously called the Digital Green Certificate) is well on track to be ready end of June, as planned, facilitating free movement within Europe during the coming months.

Agreement has involved intense negotiations as some countries have been calling for the PCR testing process to be financed by the EU, although in the end the European Parliament voted not to make PCR testing free, although the pact does include the commitment of the European Commission to make 100 million euros available to European governments so that they "lower" the cost of these tests. In addition, after providing a negative PCR test, Europeans will be able to move between EU countries proving that they are vaccinated against Covid or that they have antibodies after having recovered from the disease, something that European Parliament negotiator, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, has recognized is more complicated.

According to the terms of the agreement reached this Thursday, the health authorities of each member state will be responsible for issuing the certificate for their citizens, when they are vaccinated, have a diagnostic test -PCR or antigens- or it is proven that they have antibodies.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate – key features
• will cover vaccination, test and recovery;
• will be available in a digital and paper-based format, depending on the choice of the recipients, and contain a digitally signed QR code;
• will be free of charge, be obtained easily and also available to persons vaccinated before the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation has entered into force;
• may also be used by Member States for national purposes, if this is provided for in national law.
• Member States shall refrain from imposing additional travel restrictions on the holders of an EU Digital COVID Certificate, unless they are necessary and proportionate to safeguard public health.
• The Commission will also mobilise €100 million to support Member States in providing affordable tests.

Next Steps
The political agreement will now have to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The Regulation will enter into force on 1 July, with a phasing-in period of six weeks for the issuance of certificates for those Member States that need additional time.
In parallel, the Commission will continue to support the Member States in finalising their national solutions for the issuance and verification of EU Digital COVID Certificate, and to provide technical and financial support to Member States to on-board the gateway.
Click here for full questions and answers about the EU Digital COVID Certificate