Greece seeking EU vaccination certificate to ease travel

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to urge the introduction of a coronavirus vaccination certificate that would ease travel between member-states in the bloc, Politico reported on Tuesday.

The Greek government is reportedly proposing the introduction of a certificate by the European Union for “facilitating the freedom of movement of persons who have been vaccinated against Covid-19,” the letter, seen by Politico’s Playbook, said.

“It is urgent to adopt a common understanding on how a vaccination certificate should be structured so as to be accepted in all member-states,” Mitsotakis, who hopes to bring up the issue at an EU summit on January 21, said. He added that while such a process “may sound simple… the lengthy experience we have had on developing a common PLF [Passenger Locator Form] has shown us that there is an urgent need for a high-level EU-wide mobilization to move things forward.”

“Ensuring the quickest possible re-establishment of freedom of movement … is, of necessity, a fundamental priority for us all,” Mitsotakis said, adding that Greece, however, is “not going to make vaccination compulsory or a prerequisite for travel, persons who have been vaccinated should be free to travel.”

A certificate, he also said, would further “provide a positive incentive for ensuring that citizens are encouraged to undergo vaccination.”