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THE 27 EU member states have agreed on key amendments to the Digital Green Certificate proposal – also known as Covid passports – ahead of a vote due in the European Parliament on 28 April.
Today, EU ambassadors representing the 27 member states agreed a joint position on the pass that is hoped to allow a faster return to travel between EU member states, but has raised some concerns about whether they would amount as a version of mandatory vaccination, particularly where access to Covid-19 tests is limited.
Last month, six of Ireland’s 13 MEPs voted against an “urgency” proposal to fasttrack a vote that would allow Digital Green Certificates to be introduced more quickly – but without committee scrutiny. 68% of the European Parliament passed the urgency proposal.
What’s the idea behind them
The aim of Digital Green Certificates is to allow the return of free movement of people around Europe this summer – by proving that a person has either been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, has a negative test result, or has recovered from Covid-19.
Southern European states like Spain and Greece have pushed for Covid passports to be introduced, as their economies are heavily reliant on the summer holiday season.
But several EU members, such as France, have expressed concern it could discriminate against the majority of people who have not been offered a vaccine.
EU member states @EUCouncil today agreed their position on #DigitalGreenCertificate
— Thomas Byrne (@ThomasByrneTD) April 14, 2021
The next stage is a negotiation with @EUparliament which I hope will mean enactment by summer.
Govt here has yet to decide their use, but will be legally obliged to issue them when enacted.
If approved by the European Parliament, the Irish Government would be obliged to issue Digital Green Certificates when they are requested by citizens for international travel. Whether they would be also used by the Irish government for the reopening of pubs, restaurants and return to events with large crowds is unclear.
The UK is also due to trial the use of its own version of Covid passports; New York also has a digital Covid passport called the ‘Excelsior Pass’, after the US federal government said that it would be inappropriate for it to set up a version of vaccine passports.
What was agreed to
Among the five amendments suggested by all 27 member states is a reference that a Digital Green Certificate “is not a precondition to exercise free movement rights and it is not an travel document, in order to stress the principle of non-discrimination, in particular towards non-vaccinated persons.”
EU member states also proposed an amendment that would enable Ireland and the other EU countries to “mutually accept certificates issued to third country nationals based on reciprocity”, in reference to how this policy could affect travel with Northern Ireland and within the Common Travel Area.
The other three key amendments suggested were:
Prime-Minister of Portugal António Costa said that the current epidemiological situation remains of “great concern”.
“The Digital Green Certificate comes in to facilitate safe and free movement. It is most important for our citizens, for our societies and for the recovery of our economies.
“I welcome this first step. It shows that we are ready to engage constructively with the European Parliament and the Commission to continue to move fast on these proposals, in order to have the certificate and the system fully operational this summer.”
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It’s parents leave, not parental. Parental is fully unpaid, parents is paid by the state and then company dependent.
@D: perental leave is a term describing the type of leave not weather you get paid for it or not. Get a grip.
@Joe Byrne: I was explaining that it wasn’t the unpaid leave in case anyone was confused as the article initially said parental leave and it’s confusing with the different types of leave. Absolutely no need for that rude reply.
@Joe Byrne: it’s spelled parental
@Joe Byrne: what’s the weather like Joe???
Looks like I picked the wrong day to get a vasectomy.
14 months in Germany
Previously it was stated this bill would increase the parents leave to 7 weeks from 5 for parents of children born after July 2022. However now everywhere seems to say parents are entitled to take 7 weeks with no mention of the child having to be born after a specific date. Has this been extended retrospectively to all parents of children under 2? Would be good if some publishment whether it’s media or citizens information website could confirm as I’m not long (about 1 week ago) after receiving a reminder from social welfare that I’ve yet to apply to take the “5 weeks” that I’m eligible for.
@Darragh Bailey: The published information says you get seven weeks as long as the child is under two. If a parent has already taken five weeks and the child is still under two they are able to apply for the additional two weeks now also.
have your say