8 February 2022: The European Commission adopted on 3 February a proposal to extend the Digital COVID Certificate by a year, until 30 June 2023.

This adopted act is open for feedback for a minimum period of 8 weeks. All feedback received will be summarised by the European Commission and presented to the European Parliament and Council with the aim of feeding into the legislative debate. 

The amendments proposed by the Commission include the following:

• To include high-quality laboratory-based antigen tests among the types of tests for which a test certificate can be issued.
• To ensure that vaccination certificates contain the correct overall number of doses administered in any Member State and not just in the Member State issuing the certificate.
• To provide that certificates may be issued to persons participating in clinical trials for vaccines against COVID-19. The EU Digital COVID Certificate issued to trial participants may then be accepted by other Member States. This measure aims to encourage the continued development and study of vaccines against COVID-19.

ERA will liaise with other associations in the travel and tourism sectors and contribute to the consultation, addressing in particular :

• The validity of EU DCC;
• EU DCC verification; 
• the use of the EU DCC by non-EU travellers / conversion of national certificate to EU DCC; 
• the removal of pre-departure tests for vaccinated & recovered travellers; 
• the recognition across EU of a mix of different vaccines that include an approved vaccine by EMA or WHO;
• ECDC maps in support of the Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to travel measures in the EU.

Relevant documentation

EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation -> Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of 14 June 2021: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0953&from=EN [1] 

EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation (third-country-nationals) ->  Regulation (EU) 2021/954 of 14 June 2021 with regard to third-country nationals: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0954 [2]

Proposal to amend the EU Digital Covid Certificate (EU citizens) -> Proposal of 3 February 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/953: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/regulation_amending_regulation_eu_2021_-_953.pdf [3] 

EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation -> Regulation (EU) 2021/953 of 14 June 2021: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0953&from=EN [1] 

EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation (third-country-nationals) ->  Regulation (EU) 2021/954 of 14 June 2021 with regard to third-country nationals: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0954 [2]

Proposal to amend the EU Digital Covid Certificate (EU citizens) -> Proposal of 3 February 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/953: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/regulation_amending_regulation_eu_2021_-_953.pdf [3] 

Proposal to amend the EU Digital Covid Certificate (third-country nationals legally staying and residing in the EU) -> Proposal of 3 February 2022 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/954 with regard to third-country nationals: ​https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/proposal-regulation-framework-issuance-verification-and-acceptance-interoperable-covid-19_en [4]

https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/key-documents-related-digital-covid-19-certificate_en [5] 

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_744 [6]