European Parliament calls for free PCR for tourists and for Covid certificate to exempt from quarantine

The European Parliament wants the PCR tests carried out by travelers to be able to travel within the European Union with the covid certificate to be “free” tests for avoid discrimination between Europeans likely to travel for having received the coronavirus vaccine free of charge.

This is one of the red lines set by MEPs for the negotiations that the European Parliament will engage with the 27 and the European Commission, with the aim of having the new certificate ready before the end of June, so that it can be used boosting the tourism sector during the summer season.

The negotiating mandate, which was voted on Wednesday when the result was known on Thursday, was carried out by a large majority of 540 votes in favor, 119 against and 31 abstentions.

The text also asks change name to EU Covid-19 certificate to make it more descriptive and correct the mistaken impression that it is linked to environmental problems as occurs with the name proposed in principle, Digital Green Certificate.

The Community Executive is convinced that it is “Realistic and feasible” to reach the agreement on time and that its technical development is also ready for June, revealed a spokesperson of the community after the vote of the European Parliament.

Regarding the price of tests, the spokesperson recalled that this is not a question that Brussels takes in its initial proposal because the price of medicines is a question which falls exclusively within the competence of the Member States.

MEPs agree with Brussels and the Council that it should be a free document for all, which can be issued in physical or digital format, and that it should in no way be understood as a ‘passport’ which opens borders, but rather as a document containing medical information to adapt pandemic restrictions to the traveler.

The certificate will be used by the holder to certify if he has been vaccinated, with what and when, if he is immunized because he has already conquered the disease or, as a third option, if he has a negative diagnostic test carried out. within 72 hours. before the journey.

For this reason, MEPs warn in their negotiating position that they believe that The tests linked to the certificate must be “universal, accessible and free” for all Europeans, in order to prevent unvaccinated people from suffering economic discrimination.

In a non-legislative resolution also adopted this Thursday at the same plenary session, the deputies go further and they also undertake to test for free also the tests which are not carried out within the framework of the immunity certificate, especially in the case of exposed frontline workers, such as health workers and patients and staff in schools, universities and nurseries.

The resolution calls for the introduction of a temporary maximum price limit for COVID-19 diagnostic tests that are not performed to obtain the certificate.

When negotiating with the Member States and Brussels, the Parliament will also argue that certificate holders should not be subject to additional restrictions, so they should be exempted from the requirement of quarantine, self-isolation or additional testing upon arrival at destination. They also warn that any additional initiative that a Member State wishes to launch on the basis of the certificate must do so in accordance with the same legislative framework.

During the debate leading up to the vote, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Home Affairs and rapporteur for the position of the European Parliament, the Spanish socialist Juan Fernando López Aguilar, warned that This document should not be used by countries to filter, for example, passage to restaurants, cinemas or other public spaces.

Regarding the vaccines recognized by the certificate, MEPs ask that they be issued only to patients who have been inoculated with vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), although this leaves the door open for each country to decide whether or not to recognize other issued certificates. by Member States for vaccines listed by the World Health Organization.

Finally, certificates must be verified, just like your electronic stamps, to prevent fraud and counterfeiting and the personal data obtained for the issuance of the certificate cannot be stored in the country of destination and there will be no centralized database in the EU.

The list of bodies that will process and receive the data will be public, so that citizens can exercise their right to data protection, within the framework of the General Data Protection Regulation.

(with EP information)

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