The introduction of this document is demanded by the tourism sector and by the EU countries which depend on it the most for their summer season.
MOn Wednesday, the European Commission presented its proposal for a health certificate intended, in a period of the Covid-19 pandemic, to facilitate travel within the European Union by summer without hampering freedom of movement. A certificate that will not be available until July. At least that’s what European Commissioner Didier Reynders announced to the VRT this Sunday.
This travel document, which would be available free of charge in digital or paper format and provided with a QR code, would make it possible to prove the vaccination of its carrier against Covid-19, but also – to avoid any discrimination against those who are not not vaccinated – the value of a negative screening test or that of some immunity acquired after contamination which occurred less than 180 days previously.
The introduction of this document is demanded by the tourism sector and by the EU countries which depend on it the most for their summer season. But Member States like Belgium have been reluctant to do so if it were to become a real vaccination passport, and hamper freedom of movement in a discriminatory manner for those who have not been vaccinated, whether by choice, by constraint or by necessity.
These people could continue to travel by complying with recommendations adopted by EU countries, which provide for quarantine or testing rules.