BETA


2022/0031(COD) EU Digital COVID Certificate - Union citizens

Progress: Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead LIBE LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (icon: S&D S&D) LENAERS Jeroen (icon: EPP EPP), IN 'T VELD Sophia (icon: Renew Renew), STRIK Tineke (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), TARDINO Annalisa (icon: ID ID), ROOKEN Rob (icon: ECR ECR), ERNST Cornelia (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Committee Opinion ENVI CANFIN Pascal (icon: Renew Renew)
Committee Opinion TRAN BAUZÁ DÍAZ José Ramón (icon: Renew Renew) Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR (icon: PPE PPE), István UJHELYI (icon: S&D S&D), Anne-Sophie PELLETIER (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)

Events

2022/04/05
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2022/03/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2022/03/17
   EP - CANFIN Pascal (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2022/03/16
   EP - LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2022/03/07
   EP - BAUZÁ DÍAZ José Ramón (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in TRAN
2022/02/14
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2022/02/03
   EC - Legislative proposal
Details

PURPOSE: to extend the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/953 on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: since the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2021/953 , the epidemiological situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved considerably. On the one hand, by 31 January 2022, more than 80% of the adult population in the Union had completed their primary vaccination cycle, and more than 50% have received a booster dose, despite significant differences between Member States. Increasing vaccine uptake remains a crucial objective in the fight against the pandemic, given the protection against hospitalisation and severe disease afforded by vaccination, and thus plays an important role in ensuring that restrictions to the free movement of persons can be lifted.

After a peak in Omicron cases, a high proportion of the population is expected to enjoy, at least for a certain period, protection from COVID-19 either due to vaccination or prior infection, or both. However, it is not possible to predict the impact of a possible increase in infections in the second half of 2022. In addition, the possibility of a worsening of the pandemic situation because of the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern cannot be ruled out.

In view of the above, it cannot be excluded that Member States continue to require Union citizens exercising their right to free movement to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, test or recovery beyond 30 June 2022 , that is, the date when Regulation (EU) 2021/953 is currently set to expire. It is important to ensure that Union citizens and their family members are not deprived of the possibility to make use of their EU Digital COVID Certificates, which are an effective, secure and privacy-preserving way of proving one’s COVID-19 status, in the event that certain restrictions to free movement based on public health are still in place after 30 June 2022.

CONTENT: under this proposal, the Commission is proposing to extend, by 12 months ( until 30 June 2023 ), the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/953, which lays down a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) for the purpose of facilitating the holders’ exercise of their right to free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This should allow EU citizens and their family members exercising their right to free movement to continue demonstrating that they fulfil public health requirements imposed, in compliance with EU law, by the Member State of destination.

In addition to the extension of the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation until June 2023, the Commission also proposes some limited amendments to Regulation (EU) 2021/953 such as:

- a broadening of the definition of SARS-CoV-2 tests that rely on the detection of viral proteins (antigens) to include antigenic assays performed in a laboratory setting and not only rapid antigen tests that give results in less than 30 minutes;

- an explicit clarification that vaccination certificates are to contain the number of doses administered to the holder, regardless of the Member State in which they have been administered, to make sure that the overall number actually administered is accurately reflected;

- a clarification that EU Digital COVID Certificates may also be issued to persons participating in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, and that such certificates may be accepted by other Member States in order to waive restrictions to free movement;

- an extension by 12 months of the period of application set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/953, as well as of the power to adopt delegated acts with a view to adapting the information included in the vaccination certificate.

The proposal notes that the domestic use of EU Digital COVID Certificates remains a matter for Member States to decide. The EU legislation on the EU Digital COVID Certificate neither prescribes nor prohibits the domestic use of EU Digital COVID Certificate (such as for access to events or restaurants). At the same time, where a Member State establishes a system of COVID-19 certificate for domestic purposes, it should continue to ensure that the EU Digital COVID Certificate is also fully accepted for those purposes.

Beyond that, the Commission also encourages Member States to align their domestic validity periods with the validity period set at EU level for the purpose of travel.

Documents

Votes

Certificat COVID numérique de l’UE - citoyens de l'Union - EU Digital COVID Certificate - Union citizens - Digitales COVID-Zertifikat der EU – Unionsbürger - A9-0138/2022 - Juan Fernando López Aguilar - Décision d'engager des négociations interinstitutionnelles #

2022/05/05 Outcome: +: 432, -: 130, 0: 23
DE ES FR PT CZ DK RO SE NL AT IT FI BG BE IE SK HU EL SI LT LV MT LU CY HR EE PL
Total
81
54
65
20
18
13
20
20
24
17
65
13
10
17
11
11
15
14
6
10
6
5
5
5
10
6
44
icon: PPE PPE
142

Czechia PPE

2

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1
3

Latvia PPE

2

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2
2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
116
5

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Romania S&D

4

Netherlands S&D

4

Finland S&D

1

Bulgaria S&D

2

Belgium S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

Abstain (1)

1

Greece S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Latvia S&D

For (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1

Estonia S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
90
3

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Italy Renew

3

Finland Renew

3

Ireland Renew

2

Hungary Renew

2

Slovenia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

For (1)

1

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
62

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

3

Italy Verts/ALE

Against (1)

4

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
32

Germany The Left

3

France The Left

3

Portugal The Left

For (1)

3

Czechia The Left

1

Denmark The Left

1

Sweden The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Against (1)

1

Ireland The Left

Against (2)

4

Cyprus The Left

Abstain (1)

2
icon: NI NI
36

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

3

France NI

2

Slovakia NI

2

Lithuania NI

Against (1)

1

Latvia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia NI

2
icon: ECR ECR
52

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1
3

Bulgaria ECR

Against (1)

1

Belgium ECR

Against (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: ID ID
55

Czechia ID

Against (2)

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Finland ID

2

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
103 2022/0031(COD)
2022/03/21 TRAN 25 amendments...
source: 729.947
2022/04/08 LIBE 78 amendments...
source: 731.523

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

forecasts
  • date: 2022-06-06T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
docs/0
date
2022-02-03T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Legislative proposal
body
EC
docs/0
date
2022-02-03T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Legislative proposal
body
EC
docs/3
date
2022-04-08T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-AM-731523_EN.html title: PE731.523
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
  • LIBE/9/08324
procedure/legal_basis
  • Treaty on the Functioning of the EU TFEU 021-p2
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament's position in 1st reading
docs/3/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-AM-731523_EN.html
docs/3
date
2022-04-08T00:00:00
docs
title: PE731.523
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
docs/2/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/ENVI-AD-730193_EN.html
docs/2/date
Old
2022-04-04T00:00:00
New
2022-04-05T00:00:00
docs/2
date
2022-04-04T00:00:00
docs
title: PE730.193
committee
ENVI
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
associated
False
rapporteur
name: LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando date: 2022-03-16T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
associated
False
rapporteur
name: LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando date: 2022-03-16T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
docs/2
date
2022-03-21T00:00:00
docs
title: PE729.950
committee
ENVI
type
Specific opinion
body
EP
docs/1/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-PR-729924_EN.html
committees/1/rapporteur
  • name: CANFIN Pascal date: 2022-03-17T00:00:00 group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
docs/1
date
2022-03-17T00:00:00
docs
title: PE729.950
committee
ENVI
type
Specific opinion
body
EP
docs/2
date
2022-03-17T00:00:00
docs
title: PE729.950
committee
ENVI
type
Specific opinion
body
EP
docs/2/date
Old
2022-03-17T00:00:00
New
2022-03-21T00:00:00
docs/1
date
2022-03-17T00:00:00
docs
title: PE729.950
committee
ENVI
type
Specific opinion
body
EP
docs/2
date
2022-03-18T00:00:00
docs
title: PE729.924
type
Committee draft report
body
EP
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
associated
False
rapporteur
name: LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando date: 2022-03-16T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
associated
False
committees/2/rapporteur
  • name: BAUZÁ DÍAZ José Ramón date: 2022-03-07T00:00:00 group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
committee_full
Transport and Tourism
committee
TRAN
associated
False
docs/0/summary
  • PURPOSE: to extend the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/953 on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
  • BACKGROUND: since the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2021/953 , the epidemiological situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved considerably. On the one hand, by 31 January 2022, more than 80% of the adult population in the Union had completed their primary vaccination cycle, and more than 50% have received a booster dose, despite significant differences between Member States. Increasing vaccine uptake remains a crucial objective in the fight against the pandemic, given the protection against hospitalisation and severe disease afforded by vaccination, and thus plays an important role in ensuring that restrictions to the free movement of persons can be lifted.
  • After a peak in Omicron cases, a high proportion of the population is expected to enjoy, at least for a certain period, protection from COVID-19 either due to vaccination or prior infection, or both. However, it is not possible to predict the impact of a possible increase in infections in the second half of 2022. In addition, the possibility of a worsening of the pandemic situation because of the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern cannot be ruled out.
  • In view of the above, it cannot be excluded that Member States continue to require Union citizens exercising their right to free movement to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, test or recovery beyond 30 June 2022 , that is, the date when Regulation (EU) 2021/953 is currently set to expire. It is important to ensure that Union citizens and their family members are not deprived of the possibility to make use of their EU Digital COVID Certificates, which are an effective, secure and privacy-preserving way of proving one’s COVID-19 status, in the event that certain restrictions to free movement based on public health are still in place after 30 June 2022.
  • CONTENT: under this proposal, the Commission is proposing to extend, by 12 months ( until 30 June 2023 ), the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/953, which lays down a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) for the purpose of facilitating the holders’ exercise of their right to free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This should allow EU citizens and their family members exercising their right to free movement to continue demonstrating that they fulfil public health requirements imposed, in compliance with EU law, by the Member State of destination.
  • In addition to the extension of the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation until June 2023, the Commission also proposes some limited amendments to Regulation (EU) 2021/953 such as:
  • - a broadening of the definition of SARS-CoV-2 tests that rely on the detection of viral proteins (antigens) to include antigenic assays performed in a laboratory setting and not only rapid antigen tests that give results in less than 30 minutes;
  • - an explicit clarification that vaccination certificates are to contain the number of doses administered to the holder, regardless of the Member State in which they have been administered, to make sure that the overall number actually administered is accurately reflected;
  • - a clarification that EU Digital COVID Certificates may also be issued to persons participating in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, and that such certificates may be accepted by other Member States in order to waive restrictions to free movement;
  • - an extension by 12 months of the period of application set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/953, as well as of the power to adopt delegated acts with a view to adapting the information included in the vaccination certificate.
  • The proposal notes that the domestic use of EU Digital COVID Certificates remains a matter for Member States to decide. The EU legislation on the EU Digital COVID Certificate neither prescribes nor prohibits the domestic use of EU Digital COVID Certificate (such as for access to events or restaurants). At the same time, where a Member State establishes a system of COVID-19 certificate for domestic purposes, it should continue to ensure that the EU Digital COVID Certificate is also fully accepted for those purposes.
  • Beyond that, the Commission also encourages Member States to align their domestic validity periods with the validity period set at EU level for the purpose of travel.
events
  • date: 2022-02-14T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading body: EP
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
  • LIBE/9/08324
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision