The European Commission has proposed to welcome travelers who have received two doses of vaccines approved in Europe. The Commission recommended easing restrictions on non-essential travel to EU countries with certain conditions, and it is expected that a decision to relax entry restrictions for travelers from outside the Union will be issued by the end of May. Among the proposals, the European Commission allows welcoming travelers from countries with good epidemiological conditions.
EU governments have reached an agreement on the technical criteria for what is called "COVID passports," which enhances efforts to promote travel within the bloc in time for the upcoming summer season. European envoys unanimously endorsed a draft legal text in a mid-April meeting that outlines the details of "digital green certificates," according to a diplomat familiar with the private meeting. These documents will provide proof that their holders have been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or recently recovered from the illness, thus considered immune.
The plan may allow the resumption of normal travel, without quarantine requirements, for vaccine passport holders starting in June. Airlines and industry groups have already submitted applications capable of integrating information regarding test results and vaccination status. The electronic "green passport" that the EU intends to launch will indicate the status of individuals who have received COVID-19 vaccines and will only consider vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency. So far, the agency has approved four COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson stated to journalists, "What we intend to create is an electronic certificate where you can register a negative PCR test, prove that you have antibodies, or that you have been vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency."
