The Council of the European Union today adopted a recommendation to ensure a smooth transition of the COVID-19 certification system to the World Health Organization’s global digital health certification network.

The recommendation encourages Member States to join, follow and participate in the further development of the WHO global digital health certification network. Until Member States are connected to it and in the period until the end of the year, they are encouraged to stay connected to the EU portal (the existing EU digital infrastructure for verifying certificates).

WHO’s global digital health certification network will integrate the technology developed into the EU’s digital COVID certificates.

– Connect to the global digital health certification network –

Member States are encouraged to join the global digital health certification network created by the WHO. However, it is up to Member States to decide whether and when to link to it.

– Issuance and acceptance of certificates

Once connected to the network, Member States are encouraged to issue and accept COVID-19 certificates compliant with the network’s requirements, in particular in the event that a public health emergency of international concern has been declared.

– Further development of the global digital health certification network –

Member States are encouraged to follow and participate in the further development of the WHO global digital health certification network, such as its possible expansion to diseases other than COVID-19 or other uses in the health context.

– Transitional period until 31 December 2023

The Commission will maintain the EU portal until the end of the year. Member States are encouraged to remain connected to the EU portal and continue to issue certificates identical to the EU COVID19 digital certificate even after 30 June 2023.

The current regulation on the European digital COVID certificate is set to expire on 30 June 2023.

In this context, on 5 June 2023 the Commission submitted a proposal for a Council Recommendation on a global digital health certificate. Once approved, the recommendation takes effect on the same day.