Vaccination passport push. Following an example of Greece and Portugal, Maltese Prime Minister wrote in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, dated January 19, that “The time is ripe for the EU to develop an interoperable EU vaccination certificate.” He added, that “Vaccination certificates are an important public health tool mostly in the context of cross-border movement.” POLITICO

The new future of tourism. Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission during the summit of the Council of the European Union in Lisbon said she believes the only solution in the fire as regards tourism, is the introduction of a ‘vaccination passport’ in the form of a certificate to prove you have been vaccinated. Euro Weekly News

The unity is needed. The Commission is working with Member States on vaccination certificates, a common approach is to be agreed by the end of January 2021. The European Commission

Vaccination certificates are not a panacea. EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said on 19th of January that COVID-19 vaccination certificates are “important but not sufficient” to ensure the resumption of free movement within the EU during the pandemic, adding instead that rapid tests should also be introduced. Similar concerns have expressed France and Romania, some of the few countries that have so far expressed their disagreement to use a vaccination certificate to facilitate travel. EURACTIV

The EU must prevent the COVID vaccine roll-out creating two-tier societies . Governments should not start requiring "immunity passports" for people to go to bars, cinemas, or concerts. Otherwise, we could see the creation of two-tier societies: the privileged vaccinated enjoying their freedoms and the unvaccinated shut out of having social lives. The way the vaccine is distributed is likely to intensify existing inequalities in society in three ways. EuroNews