in order to reinstate the privilege of travel within the state The European Union’s Parliament has given its yes to the establishment of a certificate, over a year later in an effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus in their region the Member States continued initiating border controls and entrance bans on each other’s nationals.
The MEPs approved their negotiating position on the project for such a document to be generated while acknowledging that alternative of the Digital Green Certificate; the certificate should be called the “EU COVID-19 certificate”, as suggested by the Commission.
540 MEPs approved the project, while 119 have voted against and another 31 abstained, on Wednesday, while the outcomes were declared on Thursday.
As stated by a press release of the Parliament, the certificate should be valid for 12 months maximum, and no longer that.
The press release reads, “The certificate may be in digital or paper format, a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus will verify that or, otherwise, that they have a recent negative test result or have recovered from the infection.”
During a meeting in mid-April, it also restates the certainty that these certificates should not present as travel documents or become a precondition for traveling, by the Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee which concern had previously been raised.
The Council of the European Union had, later on, called a notice to this concern; caution that the Commission should not allow the certificates to become a ‘de facto’ precondition for traveling.
The EU COVID-19 Certificate should be put in place in order to re-establish people’s confidence in the freedom of movement, while the struggle against the virus persists, discussing the vote in plenary, the Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee and rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar stated.
Aguilar said “Member States should harmonize their feedback in a secure way and make sure the free movement of citizens within the EU. Vaccines and tests should be obtainable and free of cost for all citizens. Once the certificate is in force member states must not establish additional restrictions.”
The other MEPs have also called on the Member States to refrain from imposing additional travel limitations on travelers holding EU COVID-19 certificates, including here quarantine, self-isolation, or testing.
They also hold on that the EU countries must “make sure universal, accessible, timely and free of charge testing” in order to avoid the differentiation of those who are not vaccinated.
As reported by the press release, the Member States must accept the vaccination certificates issued in the other Member States for citizens who have been completely vaccinated with one of the vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The Parliament’s green light to the certificates confirms warning of April 2020 of SchengenVisaInfo.com, when the same had warned on the probability that the EU could utilize such a tool in order to restore travel within the state amid the epidemic later an EU officer had confirmed the details. The same officer had also quoted that third-country nationals might be required to present vaccination evidence in order to apply for a visa to the EU and Schengen Area states.