Romania external relations briefing: The EU digital vaccine certificate. Romania's interests explained

ISSN: 2560-1601

                                                                                      Vol. 40, No. 4 (RO)

                                                                                                  May 2021

                              Romania external relations briefing:
   The EU digital vaccine certificate. Romania’s interests explained
                                           Oana Cristina Popovici

                                                               1052 Budapest Petőfi Sándor utca 11.

                                                               +36 1 5858 690
Kiadó: Kína-KKE Intézet Nonprofit Kft.
                                                               office@china-cee.eu
Szerkesztésért felelős személy: Chen Xin
Kiadásért felelős személy: Huang Ping                          china-cee.eu

2017/01

The EU digital vaccine certificate. Romania’s interests explained

      The European Union (EU) has launched the “vaccination passport”, a digital certificate
which proves that its holder has been vaccinated, has a negative test or has been infected with
Covid-19, and thus facilitates travels inside the continent. Romania supports the initiative and
has tested the interconnection between the domestic information system and the technical
working group at European level. Such a tool would be useful for avoiding distortions between
countries related to the recognition of domestic vaccine certificates, allow citizens travel
abroad for cultural and work interests and facilitate the movement of those involved in
agriculture, once with the resumption of the agricultural season, by avoiding quarantine and
multiple testing.

      Given the travel restrictions so far at the EU level, which strongly affected the free
movement, with a negative impact on the European transport industry, the European
Commission have proposed the digital green certificate, with the aim of facilitating travel inside
the community and supporting the recovery of tourism. The green certificate is not a passport
and or a precondition for free movement, but rather a standard document, accepted by all
Member States, which acts as a travel facilitator, according to the EU Commissioner for
Transport. EU digital certificates are free and will facilitate travel in the European space without
epidemiological restrictions and without restricting freedom of movement. In order to launch
this initiative, each Member State had to put in practice a secure portal from which citizens are
able to download their EU digital certificates, and after that to test their performance and the
security of the information system. All these systems have to be integrated in the EU informatics
system. The interconnection testing taking place between Member States and the European
gateway was scheduled for this month. According to the European work schedule, EU digital
certificates will be implemented in early July.

      At the most recent extraordinary meeting of the European Council, the EU leaders
appreciated the development of a European digital certificate COVID-19 and called for its rapid
implementation, in the context in which the major preoccupation is the general coordination for
the gradual reopening of borders before the summer, as COVID-19 vaccination campaigns
progress. The certificate will be available for one year and will include information on whether
the holder has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has experienced a SARS-CoV-2

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coronavirus infection in the last six months, or has had a negative PCR test in the last days.
However, Member States reserve the right to reinstate exceptional measures, such as quarantine
or additional testing, but only if the epidemiological situation worsens or they face an increase
in infections or the spread of new variants of the coronavirus.

      Before the meeting, Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, announced that one of the most
important topics envisaged for that European Council was the COVID digital certificate, which
in a reasonable short time must be available to European citizens. Romania appreciated the fact
that the certificate will facilitate free movement, but also warned on the possibility that this
certificate might lead to discrimination between European citizens, one of the reasons being the
availability of the vaccine doses.

      In addition, Romania successfully tested, on May 26th, the interconnection with the
technical working group at European level for the implementation of European digital
certificates for Covid-19. The computer system under the development at the Special
Telecommunications Service facilitates the generation of these digital documents, the
transmission of security elements that allow verification, their centralization in the European
gateway and the validation of QR codes by other EU member states. After the implementation
of the IT system in Romania, the data included in the EU digital certificates will be
automatically taken from the National Electronic Vaccination Register for people vaccinated
against COVID-19 and from the Corona-Forms application for people who had a negative test
in the last 72 hours and people who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. The
certificates will be issued in digital format, with the possibility of being displayed on the
smartphone, but they will also be able to be presented in printed form. A digital signature is
also included, which allows for the validation of the authenticity, integrity and validity of the
document. However, Romania is not among the first countries to test the European document.
Seven EU Member States (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia
and Poland) have started issuing COVID digital certificates attesting to vaccination, which are
going to be used on a voluntary basis. The technical system developed at EU level went live on
June 1st.

      The recent participation of the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, at the extraordinary
meeting of the European Council related to the coordination of the COVID-19 pandemic, the
EU’s climate goals and other issues on the EU’s external agenda, was a good context for
underlining Romania’s support for the rapid and unitary implementation of the COVID-19
digital certificates at European level. The consensus at the EU level, confirmed by the recent
European Council, is that the vaccination campaign should be maintained at an accelerated

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pace, while continuing efforts to strengthen the production and supply of vaccines throughout
the Union.

      In his speech, President Klaus Iohannis reaffirmed Romania’s support for maintaining a
coordinated approach, at EU level, both on the dimension of the current management of the
health crisis and on the steps to gradually relax the restrictive measures introduced by Member
States. The head of state also highlighted the special importance of continuing an accelerated
pace of vaccination campaigns, along with increasing efforts to produce and ensure sufficient
reserves of vaccines at European level. In addition, President Klaus Iohannis welcomed the
completion of the inter-institutional negotiations on the COVID Digital Certificate and
underlined Romania’s support for the rapid and uniform implementation of these certificates at
European level. However, he insisted that the use of this certificate should not affect the
exercise of the fundamental right of citizens to free movement. There is the risk that those
having vaccination certificates to enjoy certain privileges. In addition, critics fear an obligation
of immunization, not officially imposed but supported by these privileges, especially for those
who want to travel or take part in social life. Such deviations should be carefully monitored.
Klaus Iohannis also stressed the importance of international solidarity, in which context he
reaffirmed Romania’s support for the operationalization as soon as possible of a European
vaccine donation mechanism to support third countries, especially the Union’s partners in the
Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans. Romania has already donated over 300,000
doses to the Republic of Moldova and other 100,000 are going to be donated to Ukraine.

      Romania sees the implementation of these certificates as a tool for opening the borders
and solving some of the negative consequences related to the vaccination campaign. For
example, even before the launch of the EU certificate, Romania has announced that an
agreement will be signed with Hungary on the mutual recognition of both countries’ vaccination
certificates. So far, the Hungarians in Transylvania who have dual citizenship and hold a
Romanian vaccination certificate, after being vaccinated in Romania, cannot receive a
Hungarian vaccination certificate, respectively cannot benefit from the rights granted to
Hungarians in Hungary who have been vaccinated. Currently, only Hungarian citizens holding
a certificate of immunity issued by the Hungarian authorities, namely only those who have been
vaccinated in Hungary, can enter the territory of Hungary without exception, except for persons
traveling on business or spending a maximum of 24 hours on the territory of the country.

      During the meeting between the foreign ministers of Romania and Hungary, both parties
expressed their intention to conclude this agreement. It is not yet clear how this agreement will
be adopted: it could be either an inter-ministerial act or a government decision, a memorandum

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or a note on internal affairs. Such an agreement on the mutual recognition of vaccination
certificates refers only to free movement, not to other rights conferred on holders by the
immunity certificate issued in Hungary or Romania. To date, Hungary has concluded such an
agreement on free movement following mutual recognition of vaccination certificates with
Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Bahrain.

      Such a certificate would make it easier for citizens to prove that they have been
immunized, given that we now face many travel restrictions, in which fundamental freedoms
in the EU are almost annulled or put on standby. Moreover, it is a proof that would make easier
for citizens to travel abroad or to sporting competitions and cultural events, while supporting
tourism, which has been severely affected since the beginning of the pandemic. In addition, the
certificates are especially useful for people traveling for work, due to eliminating the need for
quarantine or for multiple testing, which is costly for Romania. In addition, such a measure has
direct implications on the resumption of the agricultural season. Romania has direct interests in
facilitating travel and avoiding quarantine or tests, since many Romanians are involved in such
seasonal works throughout Europe. Romania agrees that such a measure is one major step
towards restoring the efficient economic activity.

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