Debate: EU Digital COVID Certificate - Union citizens – EU Digital COVID Certificate - third-country nationals
Date: TUESDAY, 8 JUNE 2021
Speaker: Didier Reynders
Language: EN

This is the result of a joint commitment by the three institutions to deliver concrete results for EU citizens. With this regulation, every citizen in the European Union will have a legal right to receive an EU Digital COVID Certificate whether he or she is vaccinated, tested or recovered. Let me use this opportunity to warmly thank the rapporteur, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Chair, Juan López Aguilar, and all the shadow rapporteurs, the coordinators of the LIBE committee, for their efforts and commitment during the successful trilogue negotiations. These were frank and constructive negotiations with a shared objective among all participants. Our contacts have been very close throughout the whole process, and I believe that the compromise reflects key points that were essential for the Parliament. In particular, the EU Digital COVID Certificate will make it easier for EU citizens to exercise their fundamental right to free movement. The certificate, which will be free of charge, will be issued by all the Member States and will have to be accepted across Europe. It will contribute to a gradual lifting of restrictions. The EU Digital COVID Certificate will be easily accessible and available to all Europeans. Moreover, two important principles have been laid down in the text. First, Member States will not be able to impose additional travel restrictions on the holders of a EU Digital COVID Certificate, unless such restrictions are necessary and proportionate to safeguard public health. Second, where such additional restrictions are imposed on an exceptional basis, for example, because of variants of concern, Member States will have to inform the Commission and the public in advance. In addition, with the view of reinforcing a coordinated EU approach, the Commission has proposed to adapt the Council recommendation on the coordination of free movement restrictions in light of this agreement and taking into account these important principles. This will make life easier for citizens. The EU Digital COVID Certificate will help them to move within the EU, be it for work, family or leisure. Another important point in our discussion was the affordability of tests. The regulation underlines the importance of universal and affordable tests for all citizens, in particular persons who cross borders on a daily basis. And to support these efforts, the Commission has committed to mobilising an additional amount of EUR 100 million for tests that qualify for the issuance of EU Digital COVID Test Certificate. Our discussions have also started an important debate in many Member States about the price of tests, and I’m sure that we will see new evolutions in the next weeks about the affordability of the test in the different Member States. Finally, I would like to make a point on data protection. With its decentralised and offline verification system, the EU Digital COVID Certificate will ensure a very high level of data protection. From the beginning, it was crucial for the Commission that the health data of citizens be properly protected. And I believe that the text, further strengthened upon request from the Parliament, fully ensures this. Ladies and gentlemen, today’s vote is an important milestone. But, for the Commission, the work does not end here. Together with the Member States, we are working day and night to make the EU Digital COVID Certificate a reality on the ground. While the regulation will start to apply from 1 July, we start the roll out already now. The more EU Digital COVID Certificates we can issue in the coming weeks, the more we can avoid problems. We are working hard to ensure a smooth rollout on 1 July. I’m therefore very happy to report that this technical rollout is progressing well. On 1 June, the Commission launched the EU gateway, which will host the public keys necessary to verify the certificates, and several Member States have already started issuing EU Digital COVID Certificates. More than a million citizens have already received such certificates, and many more will follow in the next weeks and months. Looking beyond the EU, the Commission is also in contact with third countries to assess the interoperability of their systems with the EU Digital COVID Certificate framework in full compliance with EU data protection rules. In our contacts, we are also promoting the EU certificate as an open and secure international standard. To sum up, with the certificate, citizens will have a practical tool that they can use to travel safely this summer, a tool that they know will be accepted wherever in Europe they decide to go. So, I can only encourage you to vote in favour of the agreement found with the Council. Citizens are counting on us to deliver and with the EU Digital COVID Certificate we show that we are doing so. Je voudrais confirmer, Monsieur le Président, Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, que, depuis plus de deux mois maintenant, nous avons travaillé sur les trois pistes.  D’abord, le certificat. Je tiens encore à remercier les négociateurs du Parlement pour la manière avec laquelle nous avons pu aboutir, dans le trilogue, à un accord avec le Conseil, et je salue le travail de la présidence portugaise dans le cadre de cette négociation. Après votre décision, ce certificat sera effectivement en vigueur au 1er juillet prochain.  Ensuite, dans le même temps, nous avons travaillé sur les outils techniques – comme je l’ai rappelé –, qui sont déjà en train d’être utilisés aujourd’hui par les États membres. La plateforme européenne est d’application depuis le début de ce mois et, tous les jours, des certificats sont déjà émis dans les États membres.  Et puis nous continuons à travailler avec la présidence portugaise sur la recommandation pour tenter de coordonner au mieux l’ensemble des règles applicables dans l’usage du certificat. Le certificat est un outil, il faut aussi déterminer quel usage on peut faire de ces certificats. Et je suis convaincu que, en tout cas pour le 1er juillet au plus tard, mais déjà dans les jours qui viennent, nous aurons un accord sur les différents éléments pour que l’ensemble des citoyens puisse effectivement voyager pour quelque raison que ce soit, de manière beaucoup plus simple, à travers toute l’Europe et, je l’espère, progressivement au-delà. Je voulais à nouveau vous remercier pour ce travail qui démontre que, quand la volonté politique est là, les trois institutions peuvent trouver des solutions au bénéfice des citoyens.