Does the EU COVID Digital Certificate Strike a Reasonable Balance between Mobility Needs and Public Health?

Abstract

The need to fight a highly aggressive virus such as SARS-CoV-2 has compelled governments to put in place measures, which, in the name of health protection, have constrained many freedoms we all enjoy, including freedom of movement, both nationally and within the European Union. In order to encourage and facilitate the return to free movement, the European Parliament has launched a “COVID-19 digital certificate.” A spirited debate centered around the use of this certificate is still ongoing among scholars, many of whom have pointed out the uncertainties relative to COVID-19 immunity, privacy issues and the risk of discriminatory effects. The authors, while highlighting some critical aspects, argue that the COVID digital certificate in its current approved version can effectively help prevent the spread of the infection and promote free movement, while upholding the right to health as much as possible. However, they also stress the need for a thorough information campaign to illustrate the advantages and limitations of this document in order to avoid creating a false sense of security in the public opinion, who may wrongly assume that the emergency has been overcome for good.

Why ‘one size fits all’ is not enough when designing COVID-19 immunity certificates for domestic use: a UK-wide cross-sectional online survey

“…In addition, our findings showed that as opposed to the other domestic settings, in the case of visiting a GP for a non-urgent matter, respondents were more willing to use immunity certificates that prioritised convenience . The reason for choosing this option could be justified by the fact that respondents valued the public health benefits of using certificates in this context as more important compared with the option than prioritised privacy 44. Also, this means that respondents in this survey preferred access to primary care services to be seamless without a need for patients to show proof of their immunity status in a digital or physical format.…”

“…For the use and uptake of such certificates to be successful the public and businesses should be educated, and nationwide public health campaigns should promote this shared understanding explaining the extent to which personal data, if any, is shared on verification of someone’s immunity status. Researchers examining the implementation of the European Union (EU)’s COVID-19 digital certificate for international travel (known as green pass) highlighted the importance of campaigns to educate the public about the purpose, opportunities and limitations of these certificates too 44. In addition to educating the public and promoting the importance of certification for public health, the presence of such nationwide campaigns is important for transparency reasons too.…”

“…The reason for choosing this option could be justified by the fact that respondents valued the public health benefits of using certificates in this context as more important compared with the option than prioritised privacy. 44 Also, this means that respondents in this survey preferred access to primary care services to be seamless without a need for patients to show proof of their immunity status in a digital or physical format. Instead, this proof could be verified by the GP practice on booking an appointment (over the phone or electronically).…”

“…Researchers examining the implementation of the European Union (EU)’s COVID-19 digital certificate for international travel (known as green pass) highlighted the importance of campaigns to educate the public about the purpose, opportunities and limitations of these certificates too. 44 In addition to educating the public and promoting the importance of certification for public health, the presence of such nationwide campaigns is important for transparency reasons too. Different countries around the globe have used immunity certificates in ways that made possible the collection and processing of large amounts of personal data about individuals for reasons other than merely proving their immunity status, for example, in order to monitor the flow of people in shops or other settings.…”

Accelerated Digitalization of the Epidemiological Measures: Overcoming the Technological and Process Complexities of Establishing the EU Digital COVID Certificate in Slovenia

“…However, regardless of the uniform regulatory and technical framework, EU Member States are still eligible to enforce legal actions autonomously to a certain degree, so national authorities may still apply different travelling and border entry conditions [ 5 , 6 ]. Obligations of healthcare providers with regard to electronic records of vaccinations and test results are subject to national regulations [ 7 , 8 ] and therefore may differ between the Member States. The DCC holds vital information: name, surname, date of birth, date of issue, information on the negative test results, vaccination against the COVID-19, recovery from the COVID-19, and a distinctive certificate identifier.…”