11.G. Round table: EU Digital COVID Certificate: Hope for restoring freedom or simply opening Pandora's box?

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic threatens European and global public health, development and sustainability. After a year of drastically reduced freedoms, vaccines have arrived promising to end protracted lockdowns with impacts extending well beyond the health domain, and huge economic and social implications. To harmonise divergent approaches across the EU and to restore cross-border movement, the Commission has proposed the Digital COVID Certificate (DCC), a temporary measure to be suspended at the end of the pandemic. The DCC is to be valid across the EU and to only contain a limited set of information to control authenticity and validity. It will be issued both on the basis of immunity status to the vaccinated and to non-vaccinated, but having recovered from COVID-19. Notably, quarantine and tests are not required for DCC holders. In parallel, it is unclear whether the DCC use can/will be combined to the Passenger Locator Forms (PLF). Such measure needs to be examined in terms of its proportionality as a legitimate aim in a democratic society. With a high level of uncertainty, including the degree of vaccine protection conferred against new variants, the duration of immunity post-vaccination or recovery, incl., for vulnerable population groups, such as those immunosuppressed, and without a vaccine authorised for younger children, assessing impact represents a concrete challenge. The DCC may disproportionately affect people in Europe, with broader implications globally, i.e., multi-tier citizenship (rights and freedoms), reduced acceptance and tolerance of other measures. Multiple issues arise, but do not currently benefit from a framework to address them as part of the Commission's proposal. Questions to be considered Who manages/uses data for DCCs & PLFs and for what purposes? Is privacy safeguarded? Have human rights been infringed upon? What are the implications for democracy and society confidence? Was this measure aimed at/allowed for improving economic conditions or has it backfired? What are the implications for the emergence of new variants? What are the macroeconomic implications for Europe and globally? Have we revived hope and contributed to the wellbeing of European citizens or have we opened Pandora's box and compromised democratic decision-making, penalising the most vulnerable and exacerbating inequalities? What are the global health implications? The RT will take place at a time when this measure will already be implemented for a period of a few months. It will: examine assumptions at the time the DCC was introduced; report on its implementation, and emerging evidence (scientific, ethical, legal and economic perspective) in Europe and globally, and on how evidence-informed policymaking can best safeguard human rights, European and global public health. Five 7-min presentations, followed by 25-min discussion by Panelists and Chairs, with the audience being able to respond to key propositions/ask questions via an interactive element. Key messages Interdisciplinary scientific dialogue is key to assess proposed solutions and the implementation thereof to inform evidence-informed policymaking and safeguard human rights and global public health. New technologies need comprehensive assessment, incl. in terms of comparative research to alternatives, to ensure social justice is served to safeguard societal equity and cohesion.