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The European Commission has been busy, announcing that it wants to create a Digital Green Certificate to aid safe free movement within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Digital Green Certificate will be “proof” that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result, or recovered from COVID-19.
It will be available, free of charge, in digital or paper format. It will include a QR code to ensure the security and authenticity of the certificate.
To support this, the Commission will create a gateway to ensure that all certificates can be verified across the EU and will assist Member States in the technical implementation of the certificates. Member States remain responsible for deciding which public health restrictions may be exempted for travelers, but they will have to apply for such exemptions in the same way from travelers holding a Digital Green Certificate.
The Digital Green Certificate will cover three types of certificates: vaccination certificates, test certificates (NAAT / RT-PCR test or rapid antigen test), and certificates for people who have recovered from COVID-19. They will be available in digital or paper format. QR codes and digital signatures will be validated to ensure they are not tampered with.
These certificates will be delivered free of charge to citizens in the official language or languages of the issuing Member State and in English.
Certificates will be issued for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. To avoid discrimination against people who are not vaccinated, the Commission proposes to create not only an interoperable vaccination certificate, but also COVID-19 testing certificates and certificates for people who have recovered from COVID-19.
Data to share
In terms of data retained, a limited data set will be maintained. The European Commission proposes the following
- Name
- Date of Birth
- Date of issue
- Relevant Vaccine / Test / Recovery Information
- A unique identifier of the certificate.
It is intended that this data can only be verified to confirm and verify the authenticity and validity of the certificates.
Validity
The Digital Green Certificate will be valid in all EU Member States and will be open for Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Digital Green Certificate must be issued to EU citizens and their family members, regardless of their nationality. It should also be issued to non-EU citizens residing in the EU and visitors who have the right to travel to other Member States.
In quotes
Vice President of Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, said:
“The Digital Green Certificate offers an EU-wide solution to ensure that EU citizens benefit from a harmonized digital tool to support free movement in the EU. This is a good message to support the recovery. Our key objectives are to offer an easy-to-use, non-discriminatory and secure tool that fully respects data protection. And we continue working towards international convergence with other partners ”.
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said:
“With the Digital Green Certificate, we are taking a European approach to ensure that EU citizens and their families can travel safely and with minimal restrictions this summer. The Digital Green Certificate will not be a precondition for free movement and will not discriminate in any way. A common EU approach will not only help us gradually restore free movement within the EU and avoid fragmentation. It is also an opportunity to influence global standards and lead by example based on our European values such as data protection. “
Work to do before summer
This will require quick work, to be ready in time for the summer, which will require the European Parliament and the Council to agree on its implementation. It will require member states to implement the trust framework and technical standards to implement this.
Since some states need the reassurance of commuters to recover after a terrible year, time is ticking to get the job done on time.
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