Regulation (EU) 2022/1034

What it is

to extend the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/953 on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: since the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2021/953 , the epidemiological situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved considerably. On the one hand, by 31 January 2022, more than 80% of the adult population in the Union had completed their primary vaccination cycle, and more than 50% have received a booster dose, despite significant differences between Member States. Increasing vaccine uptake remains a crucial objective in the fight against the pandemic, given the protection against hospitalisation and severe disease afforded by vaccination, and thus plays an important role in ensuring that restrictions to the free movement of persons can be lifted. The European Parliament adopted by 453 votes to 119, with 19 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/953 on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery certificates (EU Digital COVID Certificate) to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members backed the proposal to extend the EU digital COVID certificate scheme - which expires on 30 June 2022 - by a further year, until 30 June 2023 . The European Parliament's first-reading position under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the Commission's proposal as follows: The amended text clarifies that the EU digital COVID certificate framework allows for the issuance, verification and cross-border acceptance of a certificate confirming that, following a positive result of a NAAT test or an antigen detection test included in the EU Common List of Antigen Detection Tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 approved by the Health Security Committee performed by health professionals or qualified testing personnel, the holder has recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection (certificate of recovery). The trust framework should be based on a public key infrastructure and allow for the reliable and secure issuance of certificates and the reliable and secure verification of the authenticity, validity and integrity of these certificates. The trust framework should allow for the detection of fraud, in particular forgery. In addition, it should allow for the exchange of certificate revocation lists containing unique certificate identifiers for revoked certificates. These certificate revocation lists should not contain any other personal data. Member States may also issue, upon request, certificates of recovery following a positive result of an antigen test listed in the EU common list of COVID-19 antigen tests agreed by the Health Security Committee…

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