Croatia supports the introduction of a COVID passport at the EU level only if it is not mandatory, Jutarnji List daily wrote on Sunday, citing an anonymous source who says that cross-border travel without restrictions should also be allowed to those who present a test result or vaccination certificate.
After President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced this week that they were considering introducing a "Digital Green Pass" for smoother cross-border travel, it became clear that a common solution was being sought at the EU level to restart passenger transport between countries.
The Commission's final proposal on what the certificate should look like and how travellers would use it should be made by 17 March, but there are still many ambiguities regarding what the certificate should present.
According to Politico which gained access to Ursula von der Leyen's letter on the certificate, the Commission advocates that the certificate should not be only proof of vaccination but that it also includes PCR testing results, as well as confirmation that the traveller has become immune to COVID-19 by recovering from the disease.
Tourism-reliant countries, such as Spain, Malta, Cyprus and Greece, support the introduction of an official certificate the most so far, Politico writes, and Cyprus has already announced that it plans to start letting vaccinated Britons in the country without any restrictions as of May, while Cyprus and Greece have already reached a similar deal with Israel.
As Jutarnji List has learned from a well-informed source, Croatian politics generally supports all efforts that will result in easier cross-border travel, but only if it does not discriminate against citizens.
Croatia would in that sense support the certificate only if it would not be obligatory for travellers, that is, if those who do not have a certificate but can present a test result or vaccination certificate in some other form would also be allowed to cross borders without restrictions, Jutarnji List said.
(Hina)
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