On Friday 10 December, the Member States’ ambassadors to the European Union (Coreper) did not endorse the two draft recommendations presented at the end of November, one on the period of validity of EU Covid-19 digital certificates intended to facilitate travel within the EU (see EUROPE 12850/21) and the other on the rules governing travel to the EU from third countries (see EUROPE 12840/1).
The Slovenian Presidency of the Council was not able to find sufficient support from Member States. Some countries want to know more about the effects of the Omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 before deciding on these changes.
On the other hand, the Member States did not express any major disagreement on the Commission’s two proposals, in particular on the proposal to extend the validity of Covid certificates to 9 months after the second dose of vaccine. They simply insisted on the desire not to take decisions in a hurry as long as this variant is not sufficiently known.
The ambassadors also reviewed the restrictions on seven southern African countries (emergency brake activated on 26 November), without making any changes (see EUROPE 12841/20). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)