By Michael Severance*
On June 8, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) announced the EU’s health certifications, effectively a “Covid passport” for traveling between member states. ETIAS confirmed an electronic application and control system will be fully rolled out by July 1, 2021 much like what is already functioning in Israel. This comes after initial diagnostic systems tests were conducted in several EU countries for what is now officially called the “Digital Green Pass.”
During the pandemic, international and even inter-regional travel within the European Union has been tightly restricted to “essential movement only.” Hence, traveling for pleasure in Europe’s beautiful capitals, bucolic countryside, and majestic coastlines did not occur regularly until now, except during the summer of 2020 when holidaymakers were mostly confined to visiting their home nation’s territories.
The Digital Green Pass is a purposively attractive name because the goal is to make it widely and immediately used. It is easily downloadable, ecologically sensitive (making paper certifications optional), and most of all it is appealing because it implies a sure “bridge to freedom” after 15 months of various degrees of lockdowns, curfews and obligatory smart-working.
Part of the reason the pass is green is that it grants travelers the “green light” to visit other countries. However, strategically, it appears to encourage a paperless digital bureaucracy. The electronic certificate will be produced via an app issuing unique QR codes and electronic signatures for individuals, hospital administrations, and a centralized internet “gateway” to verify compliance at border control stations. Under the heading, “How does the EU certificate work”, we read:
All certificates have a unique QR code. When the certificate is checked, the QR code and traveler’s signature will be verified. Each issuing body, like a…