The European Commission will present a plan tomorrow under which EU citizens will be freer to travel between different EU countries if they are carrying a pass stating their “corona status.”
The Commission wants to introduce a “green certificate.” This will act as a travel pass that will give those who have been vaccinated, tested negative, or those who carry antibodies, more freedom to travel, the NOS reports.
Additional restrictions remain
However, while many EU countries — particularly in southern Europe — are happy to see such a pass brought in, others are hesitant. The EU Commission must take both these positions into account and as a result, EU countries will still be able to set their own individual requirements for travellers.
This means that while the certificate will be helpful for those who wish to travel, it does not guarantee unrestricted access to all EU countries. For example, countries may decide that those who carry the green certificate may enter, but they must still quarantine for a set period of time.
If a country does decide to bring additional restrictions for travellers, it must make these restrictions known to the EU Commission and the other member states.
Not the only way
On top of this, the green certificate will not be the only way people can prove that they are safe to travel. For example, vaccination and test certificates may also be accepted.
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However, these certificates should be recognised by other EU countries. The EU must now work on designing its own digital certificate. This certificate could become accessible through an app but will have to use a barcode that can be read in any EU country.
The Dutch plan
The Dutch government has discussed potentially bringing in a “vaccine passport” that will allow more freedom to travel to those who have already been vaccinated. However, Rutte has previously stated that much work has to be done in order to implement such a system.
The Dutch Ministry for Health is also looking into bringing in additional testing for those who want to attend large scale events in the Netherlands. Attendees will be rapid tested and must show a “green tick” to event security as part of their ticket.
How would you feel about travelling this summer? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Feature Image: Nils Nedel/Unsplash
