GBTA Urges Consistency on the Validity Period of European Digital Covid Certificates

Alexandria, VA  – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and its European partner organizations* have submitted a joint statement to the European Union and its Member States urging a coordinated approach to the validity period of the European Digital Covid Certificate. 

The statement commends the European Commission’s newly adopted person-based approach to allow travelers in possession of a valid Digital Covid Certificate to travel freely within the EU without additional restrictions, as well as the recommendation to set a common 270-day validity for certificates. The approach puts a spotlight on the continued confusion amongst travelers due to some Member States continuing to implement differing rules.  

“As the EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) of 270 days became applicable on February 1st, GBTA and its European Partner Organizations have called on the European Commission and the Member States to unite and abide by this common period, to avoid a patchwork of rules that is causing further confusion and hindering the safe return to travel,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO GBTA.  

“Ensuring the harmonization of measures such as the validity period of the DCC across the Member States will be crucial to the recovery of the European and global travel industry as well as to the economy as a whole. The successive lockdowns we experienced in Europe and around the world in 2020 dealt a blow to the global business travel industry, which suffered a 52% decline in business travel and €662 billion in lost business travel spend; a coordinated and harmonized approach to the DCC is needed to support the return to travel and the recovery of the business travel industry.”  

European Partner Organizations joining GBTA in the joint statement are: Global Business Travel Association France (GBTA France), Global Business Travel Association Italy (GBTA Italy), Austrian Business Travel Association (ABTA), Danish Business Travel Association (DBTA), Finnish Business Travel Association (FBTA), Asociación Ibérica de Gestores Viajes de Negocio (IBTA), Institute for Travel Management (ITM), Nederlandse Associatie voor Travel Management (NATM), Norwegian Business Travel Association (NBTA), Swedish Business Travel Association (SBTA), Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement (VDR)  

Read the full joint statement here.