With one of the EU's fundamental values frozen for over a year, the EU COVID-19 certificate, instead of the "Digital Green certificate" proposed by the Commission, paves the way for free and safe movement within Europe. The EESC welcomes the introduction of the certificate as an excellent common standard to minimise complexity for travellers and to facilitate their movement, as long as fundamental rights and data protection requirements are fully respected.

In its opinion, the EESC maintains that the certificate will make it easier for passengers to travel, but the proposed regulation does not establish an obligation or right to be vaccinated. "This certificate needs to be transparent and it needs to protect our private lives," stresses the rapporteur of the opinion, George Vernicos.

The certificate will provide proof not only of whether a person has been vaccinated, but it will also provide results of recent PCR tests and information on a person's recovery from a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The national authorities must ensure its swift implementation at no cost, with zero discrimination. The EESC also emphasises that the certificate must not lead to discrimination in the workplace or open the door to wage dumping by employing vaccinated people from third countries.

Special attention should be given to data protection, which makes it crucial for the Member States to have interoperable systems with equally strong data protection provisions. (at)