The European commission has unveiled a “digital green certificate” that could allow EU citizens who have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from Covid-19 to travel more freely within the bloc this summer. The plan would also allow southern states such as Spain, Greece and Portugal, whose economies are most reliant on tourism, to make bilateral arrangements with non-EU members – including Britain – providing the deals are approved by the commission.
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Commission officials have been at at pains to stress it should be considered as a common framework to help national governments manage intra-bloc travel as vaccination programmes advance and restrictions gradually ease.
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The plan stresses that it “cannot be a pre-condition to exercise free movement rights, nor can it be a pre-condition for using cross-border passenger transport services such as airlines, trains, coaches or ferries”.
The certificate should mean travellers will not need to quarantine, [and] would be available to all citizens who can provide evidence that they have either been vaccinated against Covid-19, have recently tested negative, or have acquired antibodies after recovering from the virus.
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The commission’s plan, which it hopes will be approved by national governments and the European parliament by mid-June, says all vaccines approved by the EMA should be automatically recognised by member states. But governments will also be able to decide unilaterally whether they also want to authorise non EMA-approved shots, meaning countries that rely heavily on tourism will be able to allow travellers with Russian or Chinese [vaccinations] to enter if they choose.