MEPs extend EU COVID-19 Certificate but not to allow restriction of movement

MEPs in the European Parliament (EU) have voted to extend the use of the EU Covid-19 Certificate for another year but not for the restriction of movement.

The vote late on June 23 endorses the deal with member states to prolong the legal framework that keeps the scheme in place for EU citizens and third-country nationals.

The approval will see the scheme remain in place until June 30, 2023, although a provision was included that allows for the European Commission to withdraw the scheme after six months if it is deemed no longer useful or needed.

A press releases by the EU said: “The European Commission will assess the impact of the EUDCC on free movement and fundamental rights by the end of 2022, and can propose its repeal, if the public health situation allows, based on the latest scientific advice from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Health Security Committee.

Importantly the approved extension calls on member countries to refrain from imposing disproportionate or discriminatory restrictions on the freedom of movement through the scheme. The extension will become law once it it is published later this month.

The Commission said that the extension of the scheme was to ensure the continued free movement of citizens within the bloc, with more than 1.8 billion certificates issued since the scheme’s inception.

The extension of the EU covid-19 passport comes at a time when many countries are reporting a rise in infections, with concerns in some quarters of a renewed pandemic come the northern hemisphere’s winter.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.