It would be easier for EU citizens to fly during their summer vacations. On Thursday (May 20th), representatives from member states and the European Parliament agreed on the format of the Covid passport, which can be either in paper form or digital. Free tests for Covid-19 will be available at the same time.
People should be able to get free PCR tests, according to the European Parliament. While vaccination is free in EU countries, tests prior to travel are typically charged. Some EU countries, however, refused to recognize this condition. Finally, the agreed-upon compromise involves affordable tests for which EU states can pay with funds. The European Commission, according to López Aguilar, will set aside 100 million euros (over 2.5 billion CZK) for PCR research and will have additional funds in reserve.
The certificate will only include the bare minimum of personal information and will not be a requirement for cross-border travel; rather, it will make it simpler. At a plenary session in the first half of June, the European Parliament could finally accept the introduction of passports. The commission estimates that Covid-19 passports will be available by the end of June.