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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the European Commission will present a proposal, later in March, to create a digital vaccination passport, in order to facilitate travel within the European bloc.
Here are some of the questions and answers related to this issue.
What will the vaccination passport be created for?
The passport is basically intended to guarantee a safe and cheap trip within the European Union, whether it is business trips or tourism. This initiative is being pushed forward by southern countries, in order to preserve the tourism season and revive the economies.
As usual, things get complicated in a hybrid structure, like that of the European Union. Each country decides on health issues separately, but Brussels currently organizes joint vaccine purchases, and is committed to overseeing free movement within the bloc.
The European Commission will therefore make a legal presentation on March 17 on the so-called “digital green passport”, shortly before the summit of EU leaders and governors a week later.
The rush comes after reports that Greece and Cyprus may be ahead of their EU counterparts, especially after reaching a bilateral travel agreement with Israel.
A bigger rift is the last thing Brussels needs right now, as there are similar concerns about the possibility of creating such a system from a third country or even worse – from a technology giant like Google or Facebook!
What content will the passport contain?
Many things are not known yet, as there is much work ahead.
However, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has emphasized some things that will be contained in the “green digital passport”.
Of course she will have evidence that a person has been vaccinated, but to avoid discrimination, there may be additional information in the passport such as the results of a recent coronavirus test or evidence of immunity.
These data are intended to fill the minds of member states that have been skeptical of the idea, such as Belgium, France or Germany. These countries believe that such certificates will give vaccinated individuals more rights than those who have not received the vaccine.
But how will the process work in reality?
The 27 countries of the European Union will have to agree on a common passport recognition council, although each country has the right to set additional rules for the entry of citizens.
However the pleasing result would be achieved with a certificate, known to all, and which could be carried over the phone or on paper, and preferably with a special code.
The certificate can be similar to a train ticket, which can be scanned, and has the necessary information, as required by EU countries, including name and date of birth, vaccination information, such as the date it was received the vaccine, the type of vaccine and the place where it was taken.
Information such as a negative test result or evidence of immunity may also be added to the test.
When can such a thing be realized?
Von der Leyen believes the passport can be operational within three months – just before the summer season.
But this achievement requires quick agreement, both on political issues and on technical standards.
A system must be created by 27 different nations for a suitable European version. That process involves different ministers of EU countries, such as health, justice, and digital departments, if any. What complicates the situation more are the different actions of countries.
So far, the European Commission is aware that 13 member states issue certificates for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, while six others are planning to do so.
Some will only issue digital passports, while others prefer them on paper.
The process is already patchy.
What are the unresolved issues?
There are many. The issue of discrimination against those who cannot or do not want to be vaccinated will not go away so easily. The slow pace of vaccination in the EU means that almost 32 million doses of the vaccine have been given in all European bloc countries so far, with 6.4 per cent of the population vaccinated.
The EU still hopes to provide 300 million doses in the second quarter of 2021, enabling Brussels to meet the target of vaccinating more than 70 per cent of the adult population by summer.
But with all the obstacles that have come up so far, this can only remain a wish – as is the idea of a vaccine certificate. There are other things to consider in the meantime. Is this temporary or will it be part of border controls in countries within the EU, although such controls have not existed before?
What will happen to EU citizens who have been vaccinated with Russian or Chinese vaccines that are not recognized by the European Medicines Agency?
Hungary, Slovakia and other countries that may use these vaccines will insist that they be recognized as well, although certificates may include a negative coronavirus test.
The same opportunity could be offered to children who are so far out of national vaccination programs.
And finally, what does this mean for people from third countries who want to travel to the EU?
This proposal initially worries the 27 EU countries. However, the idea is that this certificate can be used outside the European bloc, in coordination with the World Health Organization.
This sounds good in theory, but non-EU countries in the Western Balkans and neighboring countries in the east of the EU will be able to look at this whole situation nervously.REL/
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