The national ambassadors of the Member States to the EU agreed on Monday 7 March to the European Commission’s draft regulation extending the legal basis of the EU Covid certificate by one year until June 2023. They are thus ready to negotiate with the European Parliament as soon as it has adopted its mandate.
The Commission had proposed on 3 February to extend the legal basis of the regulation creating the EU Covid certificate (see EUROPE 12883/24), which allowed free movement in the EU during the pandemic. It had also added amendments providing, for example, for the inclusion of antigenic tests performed in a laboratory among the types of tests for which a test certificate may be issued or providing that certificates may be issued to persons participating in clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines.
The main novelty added to the regulation is the addition of a revision clause set “no later than 1 February 2023”.
The Commission will have to present a report to the co-legislators taking into account the health situation. The Commission could then, on the basis of this assessment, decide on a legislative proposal to shorten or extend the period of application of the regulation.
Other changes to the Commission’s text are mainly technical, a source said. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)