The vaccine passport, a controversial issue

On 17 March 2021, the European Commission will present a proposal on creating an EU-wide digital vaccination passport. The digital passport will include a Covid-19 vaccination history as well as the health status.

The document will allow health authorities to detect travellers who are at risk of being contaminated and those who may contaminate others.

The vaccine passport will certainly facilitate the movement of European citizens within the EU. However, it could jeopardise the free movement of unvaccinated people in the European Union, hence the risk of discrimination due to uneven access to vaccines.

Other concerns include data protection and compatibility with the laws of different European countries.

Vaccination passport: countries supporting the project

Several European countries whose economies dependent on tourism are in favour of the vaccination passport. This is the case with Spain, Malta and Portugal. In addition to, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Estonia.

France and Germany, being reluctant at the beginning of the project, are gradually changing position.