EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

•Reasons for and objectives of the proposal

The Union shall constitute an area of freedom, security and justice, in which the absence of internal border controls for persons shall be ensured. Under the Schengen acquis, internal borders may be crossed at any point without a border check being carried out on persons, irrespective of their nationality. This includes third country nationals lawfully residing in the EU and third country nationals who have legally entered the territory of a Member State and who may move freely within the territories of all other Member States during no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

In response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Member States have adopted various, and often diverging, measures to limit the spread of the virus, some of which have had an impact also on the right of third country-nationals legally staying or residing in the Union to travel freely between the territories of the Member States, such as restrictions on entry or requirements for cross-border travellers to undergo tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection. When adopting and applying restrictions to free movement, Member States are under an obligation to respect principles of EU law, in particular proportionality and non-discrimination.

Unilateral measures in this area have caused significant disruptions as businesses, citizens, residents and visitors were confronted with a wide array of diverging and rapidly changing measures. This is particularly harmful in a situation where the European economy has already been significantly affected by the virus. Such divergence may also undermine public trust in health measures, in particular vaccination, which could in turn exacerbate the epidemiological situation.

To ensure increased coordination among Member States, on 13 October 2020 the Council adopted, based on a proposal of the Commission, Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/1475 on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council Recommendation established a coordinated approach on the following key points: the application of common criteria and thresholds when deciding whether to introduce restrictions to free movement, a mapping of the risk of COVID-19 transmission based on an agreed colour code, and a coordinated approach as to the measures, if any, which may appropriately be applied to persons moving between areas, depending on the level of risk of transmission in those areas. This Council Recommendation was later updated in light of developments in the epidemiological situation.

In parallel, with regard to third-country nationals legally staying or residing in the EU, on 30 October 2020, the Council adopted Recommendation (EU) 2020/1632 on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Schengen Area.

To facilitate safe free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Parliament and the Council adopted on 14 June 2021 Regulations (EU) 2021/953 and (EU) 2021/954 on the EU Digital COVID Certificate. The EU Digital COVID Certificate has proved to be a fundamental tool to help restoring travel within the Union. To make best use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate framework, the Council also amended, on the same day, Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/1475. According to the amended rules, vaccinated or recovered persons should be exempted from restrictions applied in line with the Recommendation.

Since June 2021, the rollout of the EU Digital COVID Certificate has progressed at a rapid pace. As of 13 October 2021, Member States have issued more than 591 million EU Digital COVID Certificates, made up of 437 million vaccination certificates, 144 million test certificates, and 10 million certificates of recovery. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is thus a widely available and reliably accepted tool to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a Eurobarometer survey published in September 2021, about two-thirds (65%) of respondents agreed that the EU Digital COVID Certificate is the safest means for free travel in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost all Member States also use the EU Digital COVID Certificate for domestic purposes.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate framework is not only used successfully by the EU Member States, the three non-EU European Economic Area countries and Switzerland, but also by an increasing number of third countries, with more third countries expected to join in the future. As a result, the EU Digital COVID Certificate framework is the only large-scale system operational internationally.

At the same time, the epidemiological situation within the Union, characterised by a high and increasing overall case notification rate, remains challenging, justifying the maintenance of measures aimed at protecting public health. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommends the further increase of COVID-19 vaccination coverage in all eligible age groups, as well as the maintenance of non-pharmaceutical measures, such as the use of face masks, improved ventilation in closed spaced and physical distancing measures, as major tools to reduce the further spread of the virus and its variants.

On 25 November 2021, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to facilitate safe free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic and replacing Recommendation (EU) 2020/1475. In it, the Commission proposes to adapt the coordinated approach in the light of two important developments with an impact on the epidemiological situation. First, vaccine uptake has increased significantly, and second, the rollout of the EU Digital COVID Certificate, also available to third country nationals legally staying or residing in the EU, has progressed at rapid pace. The rationale behind the proposal is further explained in the Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to facilitate safe free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic and repealing Recommendation (EU) 2020/1475.

As a result, and to ensure consistency, Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/1632 should be amended to refer to the new Recommendation, once adopted.