EU lawmakers and nations reach compromise on COVID-19 passes

European Union legislators and member countries have found a compromise for launching COVID-19 certificates before the summer holiday season to help boost travel and tourism following the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic

BRUSSELS -- European Union legislators and member countries found a compromise Thursday for launching COVID-19 certificates before the summer holiday season, a move aimed at boosting travel and tourism following the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. The various players managed to reconcile their differences during another round of discussions, paving the way for the trans-border travel passes to be introduced before the summer season kicks off. When it proposed the certificate plan in March, the executive European Commission said the documents would be given to EU residents who can prove they have been vaccinated, as well as those who tested negative for the virus or had proof they recovered from COVID-19. EU lawmakers and nations agreed on that, but the European Parliament insisted that COVID-19 certificates should be enough to allow EU citizens to move about freely, and that EU countries shouldn’t be allowed to impose extra restrictions on certificate-holders, such as quarantines and more tests.