The EU executive stressed in a statement that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, remains prevalent in the European Union (EU) and extending the certificate will make it easier for EU citizens to live and travel.

The Commission also proposes that certificates should be issued for high quality laboratory-based antigen tests and that people participating in clinical trials of vaccines should be included.

To ensure that the extension is adopted before 30 June 2022, the current end date of the EU's Digital Covid Certificate Regulation, the European Commission calls on the European Parliament and the Council to swiftly adopt the proposal.

By 31 March 2022, the Commission will also publish a second report on the Regulation.

Member States have already issued more than 1.2 billion certificates and on 21 December 2021, new rules on the EU Covid Digital Certificate were adopted, establishing, for travel purposes, a binding acceptance period of 9 months (precisely 270 days) for vaccination certificates indicating the completion of the primary series.

These rules started to apply from 01 February 2022.

The EU Digital Covid Certificate is a digital proof that a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19, has received a negative result in a recognised PCR or antigen test, or has recovered from the disease.