EC Report

The certificate, which covers COVID-19 vaccination, test and recovery, facilitates safe travel for citizens, and it has also been key to support Europe's hard-hit tourism industry. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is a success worldwide: it has set a global standard and is currently the only system already in operation at international level. 43 countries across four continents are plugged into the system, and more will follow over the coming weeks and months.

As said by President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2021 State of the Union Address, the EU Digital COVID Certificate shows that “When we act together, we are able to act fast.”

The success of the EU Digital COVID Certificate system in figures:

• EU Member States have issued more than 591 million EU Digital COVID Certificates
• 43 countries are already connected to the EU system: 27 EU Member States, 3 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, Switzerland, and 12 other countries and territories. In total, the Commission was approached by 60 third countries interested in joining the EU system. Beyond the ones already connected, technical discussions are ongoing with 28 of these countries.
• The air transport sector greatly benefited from the EU Digital COVID Certificate, which became operational just in time for the summer peak travel period. The association of Airports Council International (ACI Europe) reported that in July 2021 a total passenger volumes more than doubled compared to July 2020. ACI Europe attributes this change to the rollout of the EU Digital COVID Certificate along with the easing of travel restrictions.
• According to an EU Parliament's Eurobarometer survey, about two thirds (65%) of respondents agreed that the EU Digital COVID Certificate is the safest means for free travel in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 20 EU Member States also use the EU Digital COVID Certificate for domestic purposes, such as for the access to large events and restaurants, cinemas and museums, with an additional national legal basis.

On 1-2 November, President von der Leyen will represent the Commission at the World Leaders Summit which officially opens COP26. Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans will lead the EU negotiating team. Commissioner Kadri Simson will also attend COP26, and the EU will host over 150 side events at the EU Pavilion.

The Commission will be pushing all parties to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We will also urge developed countries to increase their climate finance to meet the $100 billion target agreed in Paris, to which the EU already contributes over $25 billion and growing, and will work to finalise the ‘Paris Rulebook'.

Speaking ahead of COP26, President Ursula von der Leyen said, “The world's race for net zero by mid-century is on. By working together we can all be winners. At COP26, we have the duty of protecting our planet for future generations. In Europe, we have everything in place to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and cut our emissions by at least 55% by 2030. In Glasgow I will be urging other world leaders to do the same; to innovate and to invest in a new more sustainable growth strategy. In short, to prosper and build healthier societies while ensuring a better future for our planet.”

During the conference, the EU will host over 150 side events at the EU Pavilion in Glasgow and online. These events, organised by a variety of countries and organisations from Europe and around the world, will address a broad range of climate-related issues, such as the energy transition, sustainable finance and research and innovation.

The European Green Deal Roadshow provides participants with a hands-on opportunity to understand the EU Green Deal. An interactive wall gives passers-by the opportunity to learn about what can be done to combat climate change. The European Green Deal will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. This Green Deal Roadshow has already been a success in Marsalfron Gozo, and Sliema.

Follow our page to get to know where we will be next!

"Member States have already received €51.5 billion in pre-financing. In the next few weeks, the process of requests for disbursements connected to achieving targets and milestones will begin", the European Commissioner for the Economy said while addressing the ECOFIN press conference.

The rollout of the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the pandemic have affected this year's European Semester. Lessons were learnt and discussions on what the European Semester will look like in 2022 and beyond have begun.

Commisioner Gentiloni remarks that the aim is to return gradually to a more regular cycle of economic policy coordination in the EU as of next year.

"The European Semester will remain our reference framework, but we need to adapt it to new challenges and ensure the right synergies with the Recovery and Resilience Facility and avoid overlapping with the duplication of reporting and overburdening our administration.", the European Commissioner for the Economy said.

Read Full Speech here

The Communication follows President von der Leyen's commitment in the State of the Union address to build a consensus on the future of the EU's economic governance framework. The Commission had previously suspended this public debate, which was first launched in February 2020, to focus on responding to the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The relaunched debate will draw on both the Commission's view of the effectiveness of the economic surveillance framework presented in February 2020 and the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 crisis described in today's Communication. The Commission invites all key stakeholders to engage in this public debate so as to build consensus on the future of the economic governance framework. It is crucial to have in place a framework that can fully support Member States to repair the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and respond to the EU's most pressing challenges.

The Commission will consider all views expressed during this public debate. It will, in the first quarter of 2022, provide guidance for fiscal policy for the period ahead, with the purpose of facilitating the coordination of fiscal policies and the preparation of Member States' Stability and Convergence Programmes. This guidance will reflect the global economic situation, the specific situation of each Member State and the discussion on the economic governance framework. The Commission will provide orientations on possible changes to the economic governance framework with the objective of achieving a broad-based consensus on the way forward well in time for 2023.

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ED Valletta and Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta (SEM) held three public discussions in the past two months as part of the national events to implement the Conference on the Future of Europe in Malta.

The discussions were held in hybrid format, to discuss pertinent issues for the future of Europe, namely Health, the European Way of Life and values, and the future of work in the context of the green and digital transitions for a fairer society.

The Conference on the Future of Europe is a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future. The Conference is the first of its kind: as a major pan-European democratic exercise, with citizen-led debates enabling people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future.

Held at the end of each quarter of the year, the meeting brings together EU-related national contact points and information providers in Malta to discuss issues of common interest and to find ways of collaboration in reaching out to citizens and assisting them in their requests for information and enquiries on their rights, obligations, benefits and opportunities as European Union citizens.

During the meeting, participants held an open discussion and shared experiences on how they provide information to persons and entities and how they attend to requests for assistance they receive on a day-to-day basis. Participants also discussed ways of further collaboration to provide better EU-related services in Malta.