EU DCC extension approved

The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) was extended until 30 June 2023. Both EU Member States in the EU Council and the European Parliament approved the move. It is good news for now until we can make travelling in the EU seamless again.

We welcome this extension, as it will ensure that, when needed, EU and non-EU citizens connected to the EU DCC system can continue travelling smoothly within the EU.

HOTREC continues to advocate for the suppression of the EU ‘white list’ – a list of third countries deemed safe by the EU – introduced to restrict non-essential travel from third countries into the EU. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), travel restrictions were found ineffective and failed to limit the spread of the Omicron variant across the world.

The EU DCC was first adopted on 14 June 2021 with the intention to ease travel and the free movement of people within the EU during the pandemic. It was also required to access hospitality establishments in some countries. In May 2022, 1.8 billion EU DCCs were issued from more than 90 countries. New Zealand and Singapore are the latest countries to have joined the scheme. Other important markets such as South Korea and Australia could follow through. However, the perspective of the US and Canada joining the system is rather grim.