Member States’ national ambassadors to the EU were briefed by the Commission on Thursday 22 July on the state of play in talks with third countries on the recognition of their digital Covid certificates, which will allow their residents to travel back to the EU.
The Commission recalled that at this stage it had only issued an equivalence for Switzerland, in this case on 8 July (see EUROPE 12758/28), but discussions are continuing with other third countries.
Decisions on recognition of equivalence are thus “imminent” for Andorra, San Marino, the Vatican, and Monaco, according to one source, and talks are well underway with the United Kingdom, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Morocco, Turkey, and Israel. Discussions are also “promising” with Canada, the source added.
A list presented earlier this week at the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) expert group meeting indicates that the Commission is in discussions with around 40 third countries, another source said, including the US, which however does not have a uniform certificate scheme and with which it is difficult to establish equivalence. It is also necessary to work on reciprocity with this country, the source said. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)