All you need to know about Europe’s ‘Green Passport’ and India’s take on it

NEW DELHI: The European Union (EU) on July 1 launched the EU Digital Covid Certificate (EUDCC), also known as the ‘Green Passport’. The pass permits hassle-free intra-European travel for visitors who have taken one of the four Covid-19 vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
As of yet, only Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson have been recognised by the EMA.While the list leaves out India’s Covishield or Covaxin, the former is now eligible for travel in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Iceland, and Switzerland.
Earlier, India mentioned that it will only recognise the EUDCC on a reciprocatory basis.
What is the EUDCC?
The EUDCC is specifically created to restore freedom of travel, which was earlier restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The bloc defines the certificate as “a digital proof that a person has either been vaccinated against Covid-19, received a negative test result, or recovered from the virus.” The certificate is valid across all EU countries.
What does India have to say about it?
During the G20 foreign ministerial conference, India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar registered a dissent in his meetings with European counterparts.
The subcontinent has requested the 27-nation grouping to consider Covishield and Covaxin under the ‘Green Passport’ scheme. A source told PTI, “We have also conveyed to EU member states that India will institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of the EU Digital Covid Certificate.”
The source further explained, “Upon notification of Covishield and Covaxin for inclusion in the EU Digital Covid Certificate and recognition of Indian CoWIN vaccination certificates, Indian health authorities would reciprocally exempt the EU member state concerned for exemption from the mandatory quarantine of all those persons carrying EU digital Covid certificate.”
However, Serum Institute of India’s (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla is confident of receiving an approval from the EMA for Covishield in a month. Meanwhile, Covaxin failed to receive an approval as it is yet to be recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use listing.
EU’s take on the matter
In its defence, the EU stated that it did not receive any approval-seeking application from either Bharat Biotech or SII.
The bloc will examine any such request when received, as per its procedure. Officials have also clarified that the EMA is only associated with vaccination tests, and has nothing to do with any decision regarding intra-European travel.
“The EMA is absolutely correct in asking us to apply, which we have through AstraZeneca, our partners, a month ago, and that process has to take its time. Even the UK MHRA, WHO took its time and we have applied to the EMA,” SII CEO Poonawala had said during the India Global Forum 2021 in June. “It is not a controversy, it is just blown out of proportion and the issue of vaccine passports should be on the basis of reciprocity between the countries.”