MEPs Approve Resolution for Safe and Sustainable Tourism

The European Parliament has announced that the resolution of an EU scheme for clean tourism has been approved with 577 votes in favour, 32 against, and 80 abstentions on March 25.

Debating about the damages that the COVID-19 has caused to the EU’s travel and tourism sector, Members of the European Parliament pointed out that the EU measures for safe and sustainable tourism, a joint vaccination certificate, and an EU hygiene settlement must be included in the new EU tourism scheme.

Previously in a meeting held in February, the Transport and Tourism Committee of the EU Parliament voted the draft resolution concerning the aforementioned recommendations for sustainable tourism, with 47 votes in favour and two against it.

The MEPs emphasised that the travel and tourism sector contributes by around ten per cent to the European Union’s GDP. Therefore, EU countries are encouraged to include the travel sector in their recovery plans and to take into consideration reducing VAT for the time being on these services, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

Through a press release issued by the European Parliament, the MEPs call on the Member States to fully apply the common criteria for safe travel as soon as possible, considering that travellers want safe, clean, and more eco-friendly tourism.

The Member States should also include an EU Health and Safety custom for testing before departure and confirm that quarantine should be applied only as a measure of the last resort the MEPs insist.

“The vaccination certificate and sanitary seal have been taken on board, but what is needed now is proper European coordination for testing regimes that do not impose additional costs on European citizens. The EU needs to urgently speed up the roll-out of vaccines across Europe and to put in place proper financial instruments to support the green and digital transition,” the member of the European Parliament, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, said.

MEPs asserted that a common vaccination certificate would act as an alternative for PCR test and self-isolation requirements which would facilitate travel. However, the certificate should abide by the privacy and data protection rules.

The European Union Commission has proposed the establishment of a Digital Green Certificate, which would be used by the Member States to facilitate free movement for those vaccinated.

The certificates will include a QR code, proof that the holder has been vaccinated against the Coronavirus, test results (NAAT/RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen test), and evidence that the holder has been recovered from COVID-19.

In a recent ranking by the Euromonitor International Sustainable Travel Index, Sweden was listed as the top county for overall environmental sustainability among 99 other countries. The country was followed by Austria, Estonia, Finland, and Norway.