The EU has agreed that a consensus regarding the Digital Green Certificate must be reached by mid-June. By that point, a solution must also be found to data security questions and even questions about how people who are immune after recovering from the coronavirus are treated, ETV's daily affairs "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported on Wednesday evening.

MEP Yana Toom (Center) assessed that countries depending on tourism cannot wait for this agreement to be made and will likely find a solution earlier.

"Nobody knows today how member states will exactly begin implementing this certificate, what it allows and what it does not. It is actually up to each state to decide. So to me, it seems like a big information bubble, which actually holds much less substance than I would like to see," Toom said.

She thinks there are more burning issues currently. "I would expect that instead of focusing on promoting the green certificate, the EU would handle vaccinations. We have - I would not say failed - but we are strongly behind where we should have been and that is problem number one," Toom said.

MEP Marina Kaljurand (SDE) assessed that the two problems are not linked. "The implementation of this certificate does not affect vaccinations or vice versa. They are two parallel processes, one does not stand in the other's way. I see two attempts to establish the first Europe-wide digital certificate, a QR-code that is readable in border crossings of each EU member state. It is a great challenge," Kaljurand said.

Officials at border crossings can immediately check if the person is vaccinated or recovered or has recently given a negative coronavirus test.

"I still think it simplifies border crossing. Currently, I come to Belgium and I take four or five printed papers with me. Each week, I check which papers I need. If this certificate makes travel simpler, it already has a giant plus," Kaljurand noted.

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