The European Union is set to recognize a standard for vaccine passports in a what is being pitched as a move to reignite travel within the bloc.
While admitting that the use of such passports at the moment would be “premature” due to low vaccination rates amongst total populations, the EU says that plans to implement a bloc wide standard will likely be picked up in the near future.
EU commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas told the Daily Mailit was “perfectly imaginable that this can open avenues for other use, including facilitating travel.”
“We feel that now this is the time for these vaccine certificates to be recognized across the European Union, and even beyond the European Union,” he added.
EU Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, is claiming that the bloc is in “active discussion” about how to implement the idea.
It isn’t hard to image the EU setting a standard for mandatory vaccine passports as numerous European countries have already committed to issuing such a document to its citizens for the purpose of travel.
Spain and Poland are the latest countries to announce that vaccine passports/certificates will be issued to those who receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
The United Kingdom is currently trialing a similar document in select areas of Britain.
The London Telegraph reporting last week that biometrics firm iProov and cybersecurity firm Mvine have developed a vaccine passport which will be optionally provided as a smart phone app for Brits vaccinated against COVID-19.
Denmark, Israel, Russia, and the Canadian Province of Ontario have also either announced a vaccine passport or that they are exploring the idea.
Read more: EU To Implement Block-Wide Vaccine Passport Standard (All long planned)
