EU leaders agree to introduce COVID-19 vaccine passports | DW News

The European Union has agreed to develop a COVID-19 vaccine passport that could ease border crossings, and allow people more freedom to travel again. EU leaders met for a virtual summit to discuss coordination. They’re already under pressure over a lagging vaccine rollout. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says it will be at least three months before a vaccine passport system is up and running.With slow vaccinations, coronavirus Variants , border chaos and summer holidays at risk – there was no shortage of talking points at this virtual EU summit.During a four hour video call leaders tried to find a united way forward in the fight against the pandemic. The pressure is intense, concerns can’t just be waved aside with the EU lagging behind on vaccination numbers and new variants spreading rapidly across the continent.Apart from ramping up vaccine manufacturing and easing production bottlenecks the EU will put more energy into detecting these more contagious and dangerous mutations through a dedicated program. With spring on its way tourism has made it back to the agenda. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was one of the first leaders to call for an EU-wide vaccination certificate in an attempt to ease travel restrictions and save the summer holiday season. That’s something all leaders could get behind. But how and when exactly this – vaccine passport – could be rolled out is uncertain. But for the moment, member states have agreed that tourism and all non-essential travel is not an option.

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