The European Commission is proposing to the European Parliament the creation of a Digital Green Certificate that will prove a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from it, or has received a negative test result.
The European Commission said the Digital Green Certificate would "facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic" in a March 17 press release. "It will be available, free of charge, in digital or paper format. It will include a QR code to ensure security and authenticity of the certificate," the EC added.
This Digital Green Certificate will apply not only to European Union countries but also to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
"With the Digital Green Certificate, we are taking a European approach to ensure EU citizens and their family members can travel safely and with minimum restrictions this summer," said Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders. "A common EU-approach will not only help us to gradually restore free movement within the EU and avoid fragmentation. It is also a chance to influence global standards and lead by example based on our European values like data protection."
Regarding the vaccine certificate, the EC said it would be limited to vaccines receiving EU-wide marketing authorization, although member states could decide to accept other vaccines in addition.
"To be ready before the summer, this proposal needs a swift adoption by the European Parliament and the Council," the EC added.
The Brussels Times reported March 16 that the EU's Digital Green Pass should be available in June and heads of states or government from EU member countries would discuss the EC's proposal at the end of the week starting March 22.
According to the Financial Times, EU governments would also be able to strike bilateral travel agreements with non-EU countries as long as they were approved by the EC beforehand.
"The Commission is working to make sure that the certificates are compatible with systems in third countries outside the EU," the EC said March 17. "The proposal is open to global initiatives and takes into account the ongoing efforts of specialized agencies of the United Nations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to establish specifications and guidance for using digital technologies for documenting vaccination status."
While the idea of vaccine passports to facilitate international travel --and by extension resuscitate the airline industry -- has been gaining traction for weeks, many countries within the EU were opposed to any measure that would discriminate against people who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The International Air Transport Association started a trial in March of a mobile phone application called "Travel Pass" allowing travelers to store and manage certifications for COVID-19 tests and vaccines.
"The app should be available in iOS and Android stores by March 2021," IATA said on its website in February.
IATA is currently conducting a two-week pilot trial of its smartphone app on Singapore Airlines' Singapore-London route between March 15 and 28.
According to British newspaper The Times, IATA's travel pass had emerged as a front-runner in the race for an authoritative global health pass that will be recognized by governments around the world as proof that passengers are safe to travel.
Over the past year, demand for jet fuel has plunged as the pandemic grounded planes across the world. Jet demand in France plunged 60% on the year in February 2021 to 237 million liters.
In Western Europe, scheduled airline capacity rose by 2.1% week on week to 4.2 million seats in the week starting March 15, meaning the region was at 22.6% of the level in January 2020, according to aviation data company OAG.
