BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Parliament on Thursday (April 29) agreed on its position on how a Covid-19 certificate should work, bringing the European Union closer to launching a document to open up travel within the bloc.
Europe intends to have a certificate showing the bearer s vaccination status, Covid-19 test results and/or evidence of having survived the disease up and running in June, in time for the continent s summer vacation period.
While technical work has been ongoing to ensure the certificate is recognised across all 27 EU member states, final details have to be worked out involving capitals, the European Commission and the Parliament.
The European Parliament has agreed its position on how a Covid-19 certificate should work, bringing the EU closer to launching a document to open up travel within the bloc.
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Lawmakers adopted on Thursday the EP’s negotiating position on the proposal for a certificate to reaffirm the right to free movement in Europe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Renaming the proposed by the Commission ‘Digital Green Certificate’, MEPs agreed that the new “EU COVID-19 certificate” should be in place for 12 months and not longer.
The certificate, in digital or paper format, will attest that a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus or, alternatively, that they have a recent negative test result or have recovered from the infection.
MEPs accented that EU COVID-19 certificates will neither serve as travel document nor become a precondition to exercise the right to free movement.
It is said the EU Covid-19 certificates will reaffirm the right to free movement in Europe during the pandemic .
The document, which may be presented in a digital or paper format, will prove that a person travelling throughout the EU has either been vaccinated against Covid-19, has a recent negative test result, or has recently recovered from the virus.
However, the EU Covid-19 certificate will not serve as a travel document in itself or become a precondition to exercise the right to free movement.
That said, holders of an EU Covid-19 certificate will not be subject to additional travel restrictions, such as quarantine, self-isolation or testing upon arrival in the EU country to which they are travelling.
European Parliament adopts position on COVID-19 digital travel certificates ANI | Updated: Apr 29, 2021 13:53 IST
Brussels [Belgium], April 29 (ANI/Sputnik): The European Parliament has voted to adopt its negotiating position on the creation of a new digital EU COVID-19 certificate aimed at facilitating safe travel amid the ongoing pandemic.
Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted 540-119 in favor with 31 abstentions on its proposal covering EU nationals, and 540-80 with 70 abstentions on third-country nationals. The results of the vote were announced on Thursday morning. The @Europarl EN adopting its position on a Digital Green Certificate is a key step towards free and safe travel this summer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a tweet after the results were announced.