The EU rules on digital Covid-19 certificates are to remain valid for a further year because of the ongoing pandemic, writes news agency MIA.
Representatives of the European Parliament and the EU members governments agreed on Monday evening to extend the corresponding regulation until June 30, 2023, the current French EU Council presidency announced, adding that the regulation can also be repealed earlier if the health situation allows.
The certificates are intended to facilitate the free movement of people during the pandemic. Using a QR code, the certificate can be used to prove whether an individual has either been vaccinated against Covid-19, tested negative for the coronavirus or recovered from it.
The digital version can be saved on a mobile device and there is usually also the option of printing a paper version. The European Commission had proposed the extension of the EU rules for the certificates in February.
“The COVID-19 virus continues to be prevalent in Europe and at this stage it is not possible to determine the impact of a possible increase in infections in the second half of 2022 or of the emergence of new variants,” the Commission said at the time.
The extension of the regulation allows travellers to continue using their EU digital Covid certificate if member states maintain certain public health measures.
