Leaders from the European Union’s (EU) 27-member states have failed to come to an agreement over the development of vaccine passports that will open the continent up to tourism this summer.
Some countries want an EU-wide approach instead of individual nations having their own certificates, while others are concerned such documentation could result in discrimination.
Southern EU nations such as Greece, Spain and Italy, which are all heavily dependent on tourism posited that such a scheme could ease air travel, helping them avoid a repeat of last year’s “disastrous” summer holiday season.
Greece in particular, where tourism contributes to 25% of its GDP, has been leading the call for an EU-wide vaccine certificate to ensure it can benefit from summer tourism. The country is also in talks with the United Kingdom (UK) about using a digital “Green Pass”, which issues certificates for people who have had both of their coronavirus jabs.
Austria and Bulgaria also support the EU-wide certificate, but Vienna said it would implement its own licence if the EU cannot agree on anything by spring. The country also wants to include people who have developed immunity through recovery from COVID-19 and those who have tested negative.
On the other hand, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel doubted whether vaccine certificates of any kind could work.
“First, it must actually be clearly resolved that vaccinated people are no longer infectious. As long as the number of those who have been vaccinated is still so much smaller than the number who are waiting for vaccination, the state should not treat the two groups differently.”
Angela Merkel
Other countries, including France and Belgium, are also concerned vaccine certificates would discriminate against those who have not been immunised.
French President, Emmanuel Macron said a balance must be found and there are still ethical questions to be resolved, adding that certificates would be unfair to young people who are at the back of the vaccine queue. Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis also relayed concerns that vaccine certificates would split Europeans who have and have not had the vaccine.
Ms Merkel however provided some hope to countries pushing for certificates, saying that technical work on them should be completed by the summer. EU Commission President, Von der Leyen added that member states would “have to act fast” if the program was to be implemented by summer.
EU leaders also used the meeting to discuss approaches to speeding up the delivery of vaccines. The bloc’s vaccination efforts have been stalled by the failure of vaccine manufacturers to deliver vaccine doses on time but leaders say they hope that production and delivery will finally hit its stride in April.
Ms Von der Leyen highlighted the “tough talks” the EU has had with suppliers and noted her confidence that companies would soon be up to speed. She also stressed on the progress made so far, noting that 8% of the bloc’s adult population had already been vaccinated.
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