Spain asks the European Union to provide the "covid passport" to British tourists

BRUSSELS. Spain has expressly asked the European Commission to agree with the United Kingdom to extend the "covid passport" to its citizens, given that "it is our most powerful source of tourists," according to diplomatic sources. The Valencian Community would be the most favored territory with this measure, since it is the one that houses the largest number of British residents in all of Europe.

It seems that the European Union (EU) is determined to open its borders this summer with the advancement of the vaccination campaign. With the launch of the digital green certificate, scheduled for the end of June, it aims to guarantee the mobility not only of European citizens, but also of other parts of the world, such as the United States, with whom it is in talks.

This is due to the fact that during the summer it is expected to have a high number of vaccinated population, not only in European territory but also in other neighboring countries, with express reference to the United Kingdom, as stated during the meeting of the Council of the EU . Specifically, the interinstitutional relations commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, who was present, took note of the request. 

The representation of Spain defended the high degree of vaccination of British citizens, their proximity to Europe and their tradition of traveling in Europe, especially to Spain during their summer holidays. For this reason, during the meeting of the General Affairs Council of the EU, held in Brussels, Spain insisted on being able to sign a bilateral agreement, which would activate the digital green certificate or "covid passport", to speed up sanitary verifications at the border and facilitate the opening of tourism in Spanish territory, and specifically that of British origin. 

At the moment, the European Commission is in talks with the North American authorities, at a technical level, to guarantee that the certificates are compatible with the systems of non-EU countries and to be able to open airspace with the United States, as confirmed official sources. 

The EU extends the "covid passport" to the United States and other countries

The "digital green certificate", which has not been meant to be called a "covid passport", is under development to facilitate free movement in safety during the pandemic within the EU. However, its interoperability with other European countries and even with States has already been approved. United. A spokesman for the Commission has confirmed that meetings with US representatives are taking place this week to make mobility between Europe and the United States possible.

The digital green certificate will prove that a person has been vaccinated against covid-19, has undergone a diagnostic test that has yielded negative results or has recovered from the disease. At present, non-essential travel to the EU from third countries is restricted, except for a limited number of countries. A third country national who can travel to the EU could obtain a digital green certificate. 

This accreditation can be used in all EU Member States, but it can also include others, such as those that make up the European Economic Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Furthermore, it could be issued to residents or nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Holy See, in particular when they are vaccinated by a Member State.

This document, digital or on paper, will be free for EU citizens and does not imply that vaccination is required to travel. In reality, it is a QR code, like the ones used at the moment to travel by plane, with all the health information required by the States, although more complete. It will contain health information that ranges from the vaccine, if it is the case, to the PCR tests or others that give information about the covid-19 and even if the disease has been suffered.

In principle, it will certify the vaccination of vaccines that are marketed and authorized in Europe, but Member States may extend them to travelers who have received other vaccines. This will facilitate mobility, although it is not a requirement to travel, as long as the unvaccinated citizen undergoes other dignostic tests, quarantine or self-isolation.

It will certify PCR, vaccine or having suffered the disease

The digital green certificate will include essential necessary information such as name, date of birth, issuing Member State and a unique identifier of the certificate. In addition, in the case of the vaccination certificate: the name of the vaccine and its manufacturer, the number of doses and the date of vaccination. In the case of the test certificate, it will include the type of diagnostic test, the date and time of its completion, the test center and the result. And, in the case of the certificate of recovery for having suffered the disease, the date on which the test gave a positive result, the issuer of the certificate, the date of issue and the date of validity of the same will be reported.

The information included in the certificate must be drawn up in the language or languages ​​of the issuing Member State and in English. Its operation consists of a QR code with a digital signature that protects it against forgery. At the time of passing the certificate control, the QR code is scanned and the signature is verified.

The health data it contains is stored in a secure database in each country. The European Commission will create a gateway through which all certificate signatures across the EU can be verified. The personal data of the certificate holder will not have to be transmitted through the gateway, since it is not necessary to verify the digital signature, thus guaranteeing confidentiality.

Certificates must be issued by health authorities, so self-diagnostic tests will not be accepted. People who have been vaccinated before the creation of the digital green certificate should also have the possibility to obtain the necessary vaccination certificate.

Lastly, the certificates are temporary and are linked to the covid-19 pandemic. The digital green certificate system will be suspended once the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the end of the public health emergency on an international scale.