Seven Member States – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland – are ready to launch the ‘EU Digital Covid Certificate’, said the European Commission on Tuesday 1 June.
This means that nationals from these countries can already apply for a European certificate for travel within the EU, and those who have a certificate will also have their document recognised in those other countries who are ready.
“[We have] reached another important milestone with the go-live of the technical system at EU level”, said the Commission in a statement. “Set up in only two months, the EU gateway provides for the verification of the security features contained in the QR codes of all certificates”, it added.
Since 10 May, 22 EU countries have tested the technical solution.
The regulation introducing the European certificate will be officially applied from 1 July (see EUROPE 12723/1). But “all Member States, which have passed the technical tests and are ready to issue and verify certificates, can now start using the system on a voluntary basis”, the Commission emphasised.
A transition period of six weeks will be possible for Member States that are not yet ready by 1 July. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)