European Commission proposes to extend covid certificate until 30 June 2023

The European Commission has proposed this Thursday to extend for a year the covid digital certificate, also known as covid passport. In particular, the Commission wants to extend its use until 30 June 2023, to ensure that travellers can continue to use this document when travelling between the countries of the European Union.

A decision that comes despite the good progress of vaccination campaigns in most countries (although not in all) and when the sixth wave of coronavirus, starring the omni-variant, is losing strength.

“The virus is still circulating, it is prevalent in the EU and we need to be ready for (…) more increases in the second half of the year or for new variants to emerge,” the European Commission’s spokesman for justice, Christian Wigand, said at the Commission’s daily press conference.

Wigand pointed out that this is not a “permanent” system but an “exceptional measure”.

In addition to the extension of the EU Covid Passport Regulation, the Commission has today proposed some changes, such as including high-quality laboratory antigen testing among the types of tests for which a certificate can be issued.

Another proposed amendment is to ensure that vaccination certificates contain the correct total number of doses administered in any Member State and not only in the country issuing the certificate.

The aim is “to address the concerns raised by citizens about documents indicating an incorrect number of doses when they receive vaccines in different Member States”, the European Commission said in a statement.