The presidents of the three EU institutions, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission, attended the official ceremony for the signing of the regulation on the EU digital covid certificate. This signing marked the conclusion of the legislative process.
On this occasion, Presidents David Sassoli and Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister António Costa stated the following: "The EU digital covid certificate is a symbol of what Europe stands for. Of a Europe that does not falter when put to the test. A Europe that unites and grows when faced with challenges. Our Union has shown once again that we perform best when we work together. On the EU digital covid certificate regulation, our institutions reached agreement within the record time of 62 days. Parallel to the legislative process, we also created the technical backbone of the system, the EU Gateway, which has been in operation since June 1.
We can be proud of this great achievement. The Europe that is familiar to us all and that we all want back is a Europe without borders. The EU certificate will restore to citizens the most tangible and cherished EU right: the right to free movement. Enshrined in law today, the certificate will allow us to travel more safely this summer. Today, together, we reaffirm once again that an open Europe triumphs."
The purpose of the EU digital covid certificate is to facilitate safe and free movement within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. All Europeans have the right to free movement even without the certificate, but the certificate will facilitate travel and exempt holders from restrictions such as quarantine.
The EU digital covid certificate will be accessible to all and it will:
Contain information on the holder's vaccination, testing and/or recovery status;
be free of charge and available in all EU languages;
are available in digital and paper form;
be secure and have a digitally signed QR code;
Member states may not impose additional travel restrictions on EU digital covid certificate holders unless they are necessary and proportionate to protect public health.
In addition, the Commission committed to releasing EUR 100 million under the Emergency Assistance Instrument to support member states in providing affordable testing.
The regulation will apply for a period of 12 months from July 1, 2021.
On March 17, 2021, the European Commission submitted a proposal to introduce an EU digital covid certificate to facilitate the secure free movement of citizens within the EU during the pandemic. On May 20, the co-legislators reached a preliminary agreement on the file. On June 1, the technical backbone of the systems, the EU gateway, became operational. The gateway allows verification of the security features in the QR codes.
Following today's official signing, the regulation will enter into force on July 1, with a six-week run-up period for member states that need additional time to issue certificates.
13 member states have already started issuing EU digital certificates.
