European Parliament Approved EU COVID Certificates

The European Parliament has given the green light to covid EU certificates that will confirm vaccination against coronavirus, negative test or immunity after recovery from COVID-19. The European Parliament has agreed on the introduction of covid certificates designed to facilitate travel to the countries of the European Union and the Schengen area. 546 MEPs voted for the regulations introducing certificates for citizens of these countries at the plenary meeting in Strasbourg, 93 were against, another 51 abstained. For the second regulation, which extends the validity of certificates to third-country nationals living in the EU and Schengen, 553 MEPs voted, 91 voted against, 46 abstained. The results were announced on Wednesday morning, June 9, according to a DW correspondent. Now these regulations must be finally approved by the EU Council. Covid certificates will be valid in all EU and Schengen countries from July 1. At the same time, some states have already begun to issue them. Three EU COVID certificates These certificates will confirm either vaccination against coronavirus, or a negative test, or immunity from COVID-19. Certificates will necessarily be issued to those who received one of the vaccines registered in the European Union. Now there are four of them - BioNTech / Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Each state of the European Union or the Schengen area will be able, at its own discretion, to issue certificates for vaccines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) or approved for use by individual EU countries. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine has not yet completed the WHO procedure, although it is used in some EU countries, in particular in Hungary. Only negative PCR or antigen tests for coronavirus will be taken into account. The presence of immunity can only be confirmed by a PCR test. A covid certificate will be issued no earlier than 11 days after such a corresponding result, and its validity period will be 180 days. The EU COVID certificates will be free of charge and can be obtained both electronically and in paper form. Their main element is a QR code, which will be used to verify the authenticity of the certificate. It also provides for the recognition of certificates issued by third countries if they meet the criteria for European certificates. For example, Ukraine is already negotiating with the European Commission on mutual recognition.