EU Parliament Votes for Rapid Treatment of Vaccination Pass

The European Parliament will apply an accelerated procedure for the certificate that should allow free travel in the EU this summer.

 

Parliament voted in favour of the urgent procedure with 468 votes in favour, 203 against and 16 abstentions.

Last week, the European Commission proposed to the 27 EU countries to develop a free ‘corona certificate’, digital or on paper and provided with a QR code. The certificate, also known colloquially as vaccination passport and corona pass, proves that the carrier has been vaccinated against Covid-19, has recently been tested negative or has sufficient antibodies in the body.

A majority of the parliament favours quickly setting up a certification system that is mutually recognized by the countries, whereby personal and medical data must be adequately protected.

MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP) hates the plan’s great haste and voted against the proposed EU vaccination passport. “It is completely unclear what the status of this certificate will be in the long term,” he says.

“What are the consequences for those who have not been vaccinated, such as conscientious objectors? Are we going to take active participation in society long-term dependent on test results for them? And who will pay for them? A new division threatens.”