What is a Digital Green Certificate & its need for Europe travel

We are all well aware of the havoc caused by the coronavirus pandemic all over the world and how it has affected everyone’s travel plans. However, as the vaccination process in the  European Union (EU) proceeds, let’s find out what a Digital Green Certificate is and how it is related to travelling in the EU Member States.

A Digital Green Certificate can serve as digital proof that an individual is vaccinated against Covid-19, has recovered from Covid-19, or has received a Covid-19 negative test result. With this certificate, free movement will be facilitated and residents will be able to move around safely within the region.

 

Key Features of the Digital Green Certificate

  • It can be made available in digital or paper format.
  • It comes with a QR code that is easier to scan to retrieve the details.
  • The Digital Green Certificate is free of cost.
  • It is available in the national language as well as English.
  • This certificate enhances your safety and security.
  • It is valid in all EU countries.

 

How Can Citizens Get this Digital Green Certificate?
The national authorities of a country are in charge of issuing the Digital Green Certificate. It can be issued easily by test centers, hospitals, and health authorities. The digital version of this certificate can be stored on a mobile device. Citizens can also request a hard copy of the same. Both the hard copy and digital copy would have a QR code that would contain unique and essential information and a digital seal to ensure that the certificate is authentic.

How Can it Help in Free Movement?
The Digital Green Certificate will be accepted in all EU member states. It can help in ensuring that the restrictions that are currently in place can be lifted in a coordinated manner. Every EU citizen and their family members and those nationals who are legally residing in an EU country can be issued a Digital Green Certificate.

A citizen with a Digital Green Certificate will be exempted from free movement restrictions while travelling. This certificate will facilitate travelling and will not be discriminatory in any manner.

If a member state continues to require a Digital Green Certificate holder to test or be in quarantine, it must notify the commission and all other member states and should justify this decision.

How the Digital Green Certificate Works
The Digital Green Certificate, as mentioned earlier, contains a QR code with a digital signature. It can protect each certificate holder against falsification. When the certificate gets checked, the QR code is scanned and the signature is verified. Each issuing body (it can be the hospital, health authority, or a testing center) would have its own digital signature key. All such vital information is stored in a secure database in each country.

The European Commission would build a gateway. It is with the help of this gateway that the certificates would be verified across the EU. However, it is to be duly noted that the personal data encoded in the certificate would not pass through the gateway, as it is not necessary to verify the digital signature. Hence, you do not have to worry about any leak of personal information.

The EU member states will also get help in developing software that the authorities can use to check the QR codes.

Can Unvaccinated Citizens Travel to Another EU Country?
Absolutely! If a person has the Digital Green Certificate, it can facilitate free movement inside the EU. However, it would not be a precondition to free movement, which is a fundamental right in the EU. The Digital Green Certificate helps in proving the test results. It is often required under public health restrictions that are applicable. The certificate is an opportunity for the member states to adjust the existing Covid-19 restrictions on public health grounds. This can be solid proof of people’s covid-19 status when they are travelling.

Does it Matter Which Vaccine Citizens Have Received?
Vaccination certificates can be issued without any hesitation to a person who has received any Covid-19 vaccine. Member states will have to accept vaccination certificates for vaccines that have received the EU marketing authorization when it comes to waiving free movement restrictions. However, the member states can decide to extend this to EU travellers who may have received another vaccine.

What Details Will the Certificate Carry?
The Digital Green Certificate includes necessary details such as the name, date of birth, date of issuance, relevant information about the vaccine, recovery, test, and a unique identifier. The certificates will only have a necessarily limited set of information. This information cannot be retained by the visited countries. For verifying the certificate, the validity and the authenticity of the certificate will be checked by verifying the issuing body and signature. All health-related data remains with the member state that issues the Digital Green Certificate.

As of now, the EU commission has presented a legal proposal on Digital Green Certificates. The European Parliament and EU member states have to approve the proposal. Following this, the commission would further set up a digital infrastructure that can facilitate the authentication of the Digital Green Certificates. The member states can prepare for the logistical roll-out of the certificate’s verification and issuance. They can also introduce the necessary changes in their national health records system. The commission is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure that the certificate issued in the EU can be recognized in any part of the world. The commission is also in touch with ICAO, the international organization representing air travel.

The certificate would cover only the vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency and vaccines listed on the World Health Organization’s emergency use list. In addition to this, social distancing measures must stay in place as long as the majority of the population gets vaccinated. If the vaccine producers fail to meet their contractual obligations, the member states should restrict vaccine exports.

The European Commission had proposed to introduce the Digital Green Certificate to restore the freedom of movement in Europe. This European coronavirus certificate can help to revive travel within the region as it is secure and accessible, non-discriminatory, and would store just essential information making sure to secure personal data.

As stated above, the commission would build a gateway to make sure that the certificates are verified across the EU. Additionally, the commission will support the member states by implementing the need for a Green Certificate to enter Europe.

Can the Certificate Be a ‘Vaccine Passport’?
The Digital Green Certificate will not be a pre-condition for travel or a required travel document. The purpose of the certificate is to allow easier travel between member states without any additional restrictions like quarantine.

Will There Be Any Form of Discrimination if Not Vaccinated?
According to the parliament, no one will face any form of discrimination if they are not vaccinated. The Digital Green Certificate is also available to those who have recovered from Covid-19 or for those who have recently procured a negative Covid-19 test.

What Would Be the Cost of the Certificate?
As mentioned, the Digital Green Certificate will be free of charge. In addition, it has been proposed that the EU makes Covid-19 testing free of charge.

How Long Will the Certificate Be Around?
The parliament has proposed that the Digital Green Certificate will be in existence for no longer than 12 months from the time of its implementation. It should be a temporary measure and not a permanent certificate that is needed for travelling.

What if I Don’t Have a Smartphone?
If someone does not have a smartphone, they can get the certificate in paper format. However, they can also procure the certificate in digital format, free of charge.

Where Will the Data Be Stored?
The data of each individual will be protected by the EU’s General Data Protection Rules. There will not be any central facility to store everyone’s data. In addition, a person will be issued a new certificate for each vaccination, negative test, or recovery. The history of previous certificates will not be stored.

The Digital Green Certificate would act as a document that can help in making travelling easier. Travel would be easier in the EU member states without facing any sort of additional restrictions. The parliament has proposed to make amendments to the EU Digital Green Certificate to make sure that the member states would not impose any sort of additional restrictions or requirements on those who have a Green Certificate.

This action would give the member states autonomy in the certification process. However, the power to impose a travel ban or restrictions would be limited. This can create a universal approach to handle the covid-19 travel restrictions among member states and has been stressed by the parliament for more than a year now.

When Will the Digital Green Certificate Be Introduced?
Before implementing the Digital Green Certificate, all member states of the European Union should implement the technical standards and the trust framework agreed upon by the European Commission. This can ensure smooth interoperability and compliance with personal data protection. Though it might take a few months to complete the implementation, the European Commission is committed to having the pass available before the annual tourist period begins.

This can facilitate easy travel within Europe for tourism by around the summer of 2021. The EU Digital Green Certificate system is expected to remain in place as a public health measure for Europe until the WHO determines that the coronavirus pandemic is no longer an international health emergency that affects people worldwide.

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