WHO digital vaccination certificate

Priority question for written answer  P-001802/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Jaak Madison (ID)

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Estonia recently agreed to collaborate on developing a digitally enhanced International Certificate of Vaccination, a ‘smart yellow card’ to help strengthen the effectiveness of the COVAX initiative, established to speed up development and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines[1].

The Commission recently requested that the European Parliament consider its Green Certificate initiative in an urgent procedure.

• 1.What are the differences between the International Certificate of Vaccination and the Green Certificate proposed by the Commission? Will these two certificates run in parallel and are they compatible?
• 2.Why does the Commission insist on creating its own Green Certificate when the WHO is developing a version that will enable travel worldwide, and not only within the EU?
• 3.Has the Commission also included experts from Estonia in the process of developing the Green Certificate proposal, considering that the country has extensive experience in digital governance and digital health initiatives and is considered a frontrunner in these fields?

• [1] https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/estonia-and-who-to-jointly-develop-digital-vaccine-certificate-to-strengthen-covax