EU member states, including the Republic, should start issuing Covid passports if possible before July 1st, the European Commission urged on Monday. In a statement, the commission called on member states to make use of national laws to start issuing the certificates before the regulation governing them comes into effect on July 1st. “Given that no personal data is exchanged via the EU gateway, member states could already make use of its functionality,” said the statement. “Today, we are proposing that member states co-ordinate this gradual lifting of free movement restrictions, taking into account our new common tool: the EU digital Covid certificate,” he said. The EU’s gateway allows member states to access each other’s gateways to validate travellers’ certificates.

Source: The Irish Times May 31, 2021 12:18 UTC