COVID certificate will be a signal for travel in EU, Germany says

GERMANY hopes for a swift agreement on a COVID-19 certificate that could allow citizens to travel more easily in the European Union, as more and more countries are opening up amid falling infection rates ahead of the summer holiday season.

European affairs ministers met on Tuesday in Brussels to discuss the details of the "green certificate" that the EU aims to introduce in June, but talks between the European Commission, EU lawmakers and EU governments have yet to reach an agreement.

German Europe Minister Michael Roth told reporters he hoped for a solution within weeks.

"This is not only important for countries depending on tourism but for all of us: It is ... a clear signal for freedom of movement and for mobility in the European Union," Roth said in Brussels.

"We should send a clear message that we are making progress. This is very important with a view to the summer," he added.

The pass would allow those vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or with negative test results to move more easily in the 27-nation bloc, where restrictions on movement have weighed heavily on the travel and tourist industry for over a year.

As the vaccination campaign in the EU is gaining speed with 200 million jabs delivered and COVID-19 infections rates falling, Europe is starting to reopen cities and beaches, raising hopes for the summer holiday season.