21 March 2022: Last February, the European Commission’s published a proposal to amend the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC) for EU citizens. Born last year as a tool facilitating travel during the pandemic, the EU DCC is a great success story as the only system that has proven to be the functioning at an international level on a large scale.

While we see the restrictions related to COVID-19 in most Member States being lifted and we are looking into the recovery of travel in Europe, the role of the EU DCC remains crucial to enable the gradual restoration of extra-European tourism arrivals.

ERA welcomes the proposal from the European Commission to amend the Regulation but believes that a more ambitious approach is needed to fulfil and enhance the role of the EU DCC as the de facto global standard. Moreover, in the current framework more than two million EU citizens do not enjoy the same rights related to the use of the EU DCC, and we feel this inequality should be addressed by the new Regulation.

Thus, ERA tabled jointly with the European Tourism Manifesto alliance a few amendments to the European Commission’s proposal to make sure that the Regulation remains fit for purpose and shared them with LIBE and TRAN substitutes to LIBE MEPs. See attached the proposed amendments (locked for ERA members only).

In parallel, the European Commission published on 17 March 2022 a consultation to seeking views on the prolongation of an EU Digital COVID Certificate for third country nationals, showing that most probably the EU DCC will remain essentially a tool for travellers from outside Europe. Feedback is open until 12 May 2022.

ERA will draft a joint response together with the European Tourism Manifesto alliance, staking the importance of this digital tool to restore international mobility.