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Harmonised EU approach to travel measures (debate)
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the biggest global recession since the Second World War. European countries have been particularly affected and without doubt, the travel and tourism sectors have been hit harder than others. Thanks to the European Commission to act in December 2021 that the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) would be valid for nine months without a booster shot, several EU countries – including France, Italy, Denmark and Malta – decided to shorten the validity of vaccination passes for national use to seven or three months. A number of countries have also introduced additional testing requirements that apply to vaccinated/recovered EU travellers, going against the current Council Recommendations. In Hungary there are approximately 2 million citizens who were vaccinated with vaccines that have not yet received EMA’s approval. The Commission position is under the current rules, the certificate of a person who has received an EU-approved vaccine as the latest dose, be it during the primary vaccinate series or as a booster, must be accepted by other Member States, even if a vaccine not (yet) approved at EU level was used for previous doses. I urge the Commission to communicate this towards the Member States and the public.