The adoption of a legislative proposal at European level for a “Digital Green Certificate” (Digital Green Certificate) on March 17, 2021, is announced in a letter to European leaders, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The President of the European Commission begins her letter with a reference to the teleconference of February 24, where the proposal of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a joint vaccination certificate was discussed. As European leaders note, “we agreed on a common approach to facilitate the right of free movement of European Union citizens.” The proposal is therefore set to be implemented in the coming months.
“It has been agreed to establish, at European level, a standard, interoperable and commonly accepted vaccination certificate, which will certify the status of the certificate holder in relation to Covid, and in particular if he has been vaccinated, if he has tested negative or if he has “she has already recovered,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
In order to establish this interoperable system, the President of the Commission notes that the basis is trust, while on the issue of assurances required of each Member State for the authenticity of the information in the certificate, “they should be drawn up and made public. national lists of certified publishing authorities and national registries with certified publishing authorities “. As he points out, this work should be completed within the next three months.
“Our goal is to guarantee that citizens will continue to enjoy their right to free movement, but without endangering public health. At the same time, we will make every effort to prevent discrimination against those who cannot be vaccinated, most likely for medical reasons or because they belong to an age group that has not yet been vaccinated, “said the President of the Commission.
“For the European system to be effective, decisions must be translated into action at national level. This means that the individual elements must be agreed and the necessary legal framework adopted. I rely on you and your cooperation. “We must address this issue as a priority,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
