MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the accessibility and affordability of COVID testing

B9‑0233/2021

European Parliament resolution on the accessibility and affordability of COVID testing

(2021/2654(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Council Recommendation (EU) 2020/1475 of 13 October 2020 on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic[1],

– having regard to the Council Recommendation of 21 January 2021 on a common framework for the use and validation of rapid antigen tests and the mutual recognition of COVID-19 test results in the EU (2021/C 24/01)[2],

– having regard to the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable certificates on vaccination, testing and recovery to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic (Digital Green Certificate) (COM(2021)0130),

– having regard to the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable certificates on vaccination, testing and recovery to third-country nationals legally staying or legally residing in the territories of Member States during the COVID-19 pandemic (Digital Green Certificate) (COM(2021)0140),

– having regard to Joint Opinion 04/2021 of the European Data Protection Board and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPB-EDPS) on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable certificates on vaccination, testing and recovery to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic (Digital Green Certificate), of 31 March 2021[3],

– having regard to the statements by the Council and the Commission of 28 April 2021 on the accessibility and affordability of COVID-19 testing,

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas during the current pandemic the requirement to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test has become a key element for the enjoyment of basic civil liberties and especially the right to free movement within the EU;

B. whereas citizens with low income, and especially those living in peripheral and border regions, have been disproportionally affected by the difficulty of accessing testing and by its cost;

C. whereas the EDPB and EDPS, in their joint opinion on the legislative proposal for a Digital Green Certificate, expressed the view that Member States should take into account the risk of discrimination that could result from different levels of availability and access to low-cost testing for individuals in the EU;

D. whereas, taking into account the shortcomings of the EU’s joint public procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and the delays in vaccine production and delivery, and the consequent slow rate of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the Member States, large-scale testing will remain crucial for the timely detection of infections and for monitoring outbreaks;

1. Encourages Member States to scale up production of critical COVID-19 test kits and to ensure access to free-of-charge testing, thereby taking particular account of the position of lower- and middle-income citizens, together with citizens living in border regions;

2. Urges the Commission and the Council to include in Council Recommendation 2021/C 24/01, in a timely manner, all kinds of tests available on the internal market, notably self-tests and rapid salivary tests;

3. Underlines that availability of free-of-charge or affordable testing will be a key element for kick-starting economic recovery in the tourism sector;

4. Calls on the Commission to support national authorities in the establishment of testing centres, with a view to ensuring both affordability and physical proximity, in particularly to transportation hubs such as airports and stations, as well as cross-border areas;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.