The European Union’s digital Covid certificate regulation enters into force
today meaning that EU citizens and residents will now be able to have their proof
of Covid vaccination, testing and recovery issued and verified across the bloc.
Ahead of today’s deadline, 21 EU states, as well as EEA members Norway, Iceland and
Liechtenstein, had already started to issue certificates. From today, all EU member states are fully connected to the certification system; Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City have undergone the testing required to join but connection is pending.
EU president Ursula von der Leyen said: “The European digital
Covid certificate is a symbol of an open and safe Europe that is opening
cautiously putting the protection of the health of our citizens first.
“In March, we promised to have an EU-wide system to facilitate free and
safe travel within the EU by the summer holidays. Now we can confirm that the
EU digital Covid certificate system is up and running.
“A vast majority of EU Member States are already connected to the system
and ready to issue and verify the Certificates. More than 200 million
certificates have already been generated.”
“We are helping Europeans get back the freedom they value and cherish so
much.”
Under the new rules, EU states must refrain from imposing additional
travel restrictions on holders of an EU digital Covid certificate, unless they
are necessary and proportionate to safeguard public health. The certificate
will thus help facilitate travel, allowing holders to be exempted from restrictions
such as quarantine.
The EU is in discussions with other countries about the reciprocal
recognition of digital health passports, such as the UK and its NHS app and the United States.
The Commission said in a recommendation: “Where the Commission is satisfied
that a non-EU country issues certificates in compliance with standards and
systems, which are interoperable with the EU system, the Commission can adopt a
decision on the basis of which such non-EU country certificates would be
accepted according to the same conditions as EU digital Covid certificates.”
No deal has yet been reached for the UK and EU to reciprocate,
although “talks are progressing well”.