MEPs gave their final green light on Wednesday to the European Covid digital certificate, intended to facilitate travel this summer within the EU, it is now up to the States to put it in place by July 1.
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In a vote on Tuesday, the result of which was unveiled on Wednesday, MEPs, at least half of whom are present in Strasbourg, while the others voted remotely, adopted, by 546 votes in favor, this common certificate system for 12 months. 93 voted against, 51 abstained.
These certificates show that a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19, has tested negative or is immune after infection. They are issued free of charge, in digital or paper format, and must make it possible to avoid making quarantines in the countries of destination. "
After a record time of negotiations, less than two months, we succeeded
", welcomed the Spanish Socialist MEP Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, rapporteur of this text which, according to him, "
revives the freedom of movement of European citizens
". "
It is THE European response to put an end to the patchwork of different rules
", rejoiced the French centrist Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé.
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During a debate on Tuesday in the European Parliament's hemicycle in Strasbourg, Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders encouraged states to already issue such certificates to avoid a traffic jam in the proceedings at the beginning of the summer.
According to him, "
more than a million citizens have already received these certificates, and many more will follow in the weeks and months to come
".
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Poland, Lithuania and Spain have started to deliver it.
In France, the health pass entered into force on Wednesday.
100 million euros
If the European text surrounding this Covid certificate concerns free movement, the Member States may use this document for other purposes (festivals, concerts, sporting events, etc.) within the framework of their national legislation. Despite a large favorable vote, several MEPs have expressed reservations about the protection of personal data. The French ecologist MEP Michèle Rivasi estimated that it “
opens up a new risk in terms of traceability
”. In addition, "
this certificate is not consolidated by the free testing (...), it therefore opens the way to risks of discrimination
", regretted the French socialist Sylvie Guillaume.
The European Commission has promised 100 million euros - an insufficient sum for MEPs in favor of free access - for the purchase of Covid tests, which, if they are covered by Social Security in France, can be very expensive in some countries.