A breakthrough is imminent: the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19

Member States have committed to making the system operational this summer.

The idea of ​​the so-called “green passport” was raised by the institutions of the European Union in March and has been supported in particular by countries dependent on tourism, in order to promote safer travel and revive the tourism economy during the summer. station.

The European Commission proposal for a “green passport” establishes the circumstances of the need for such a document: every citizen of the Union has the right to move and reside freely in the territory of the Member States under the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union European. European Union, but some restrictions on the control of the coronavirus have affected citizens. The purpose of the digital green card is to facilitate mobility.

A digital eco-certificate would open up easier and safer travel opportunities for those who have been vaccinated, have a negative coronavirus test, or have recently fallen ill in European Union countries.

The free certificate would include the following information: name of the EU citizen, date of birth, issuing country, name of the vaccine and date of vaccination if vaccinated, coronavirus test result and time of test or date of exposure to the coronavirus. Only vaccines registered in the EU will be recognized in the certificate, and it will still be up to countries to decide on those produced in other countries.

2021 March 19 The EU ambassadors endorsed the establishment and mandate of a working group that prioritizes the introduction of a digital green certificate and accelerates its negotiations.

Parliament supported speeding up the legislative process for the digital green certificate, in the hope that EU citizens will be able to travel safely and easily in the near future, and Member States pledged to make the system operational this summer.

Lithuanian MPs voted in favor: this is one of the most important issues

Recently, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, MEP and president of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, said that the European Parliament would be ready to ratify the “green passport” from June, which means that the “green passport “It could be adopted from June 7-10. during the session.

As stated by the LIBE (Civil Rights) Commission of the European Parliament on April 13. The Belgian Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, who participated in the deliberations on the Green Certificate, may extend the Green Certificate to third countries whose nationals legally reside or are present in the EU. In the next stages, cooperation with international institutions will be carried out so that the validity of the certificate is recognized by other countries.

The certificate is expected to expire when the World Health Organization announces the end of the pandemic.

At the end of March, Liudas Mažylis, Member of the European Parliament, also spoke about the fact that the management and vaccination of the COVID-19 pandemic remain key challenges for the EU.

“We voted in favor of the accelerated procedure for the implementation of the digital green certificate. For people who are screened, vaccinated or sick, the certificate will make it somewhat easier to cross state lines. So I suggest everyone get vaccinated and tested. I am not suggesting that you get sick, ”wrote L. Mažylis in his account.

At that time, MEP Rasa Juknevičienė in the LIBE (Civil Rights) Committee of the European Parliament on April 13. calls for the debate on the Green Certificate, which has started, perhaps the most important issue for the EP at the moment.

Wider opportunities will also open for those with immunity in Lithuania

The opportunities to introduce a safer and more free movement for citizens are discussed not only at the European level, but also at the national level; In Lithuania, there is no talk of a Covid-19 immunity certificate operating within the country, which would open up more opportunities for those who have it.

It is true that it is said that they would include not only movement, but also the opportunity to attend various events and use other services that are currently not available. You are expected to have a digital “immunity passport” in Lithuania as early as July.

“It would be marked there that a person who is sick, vaccinated or has a negative test result in the relevant period, can attend, say, cultural events, travel to outdoor cafes. I would be free from certain social activities. In this way, we would create an opportunity to go to events and work for companies. We also believe that an immunity passport would speed up the rate of vaccination. We are approaching mass vaccination, and what nobody really wants us to face is a situation in which we already see that this immunity passport is important for us, necessary, but technically not prepared for it ”, I. Pakarklytė has explained how it works of the national certificate of immunity.

The idea was proposed in the hope that it would help companies affected by the pandemic recover, improve the emotional health of the public, and that citizens, in turn, test more frequently and encourage citizens to test more. frequency. The proposals state that the national immunity passport privileges could be used by people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, who have been ill or who have had a negative test a few days ago.

Suggests that increased availability of evidence be taken into account

Responding to the idea of ​​a national immunity passport, MEP Petras Auštrevičius said that this was not a panacea for solving the situation and that the proposed measure could generate further resistance.

“The hasty introduction of the proposed measures could lead to even greater public opposition and resistance to the proposed divisions or appointments.” The vaccination process is not as smooth as expected, but the number of vaccines is accelerating. Therefore, it is necessary to stop vaccinating the elderly population, other target groups, and finally all those who want it as soon as possible, and only then, after extensive discussion, will we be able to talk about such decisions, ”shared the parliamentarian. his position on Facebook on the idea of ​​a national immunity passport.

According to P. Auštrevičius, currently a better and more realistic solution is to increase the availability of tests. He gives the example that “in Germany rapid tests are already available in supermarkets for a small fee, and in some countries the tested population has the opportunity to live a more socially active life and feel freer.”

“If the test results open up the corridors of medical institutions or provide the opportunity to travel more freely, why could they not be more widely applied in Lithuania, thus providing the opportunity to enter, for example, an exhibition, a theater or coffee? Today, there is probably little doubt that we will have to live in special conditions for a long time, so a real increase in the availability of tests would not only make us feel a little more free, but it would probably help to control Covid-19., “he said.

Despite the fact that the European and Lithuanian “immunity passports” are receiving various evaluations and while some see a solution to get rid of the pandemic sooner, others fear opposition, we will soon be able to see and see how they work. It has been promised that the digital ecological certificate will start working in June and the “immunity passport” in Lithuania in July.