IATA backs European Digital Covid-19...

The body urged states around the world to make it a global standard for digital vaccine certificates

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has commended the European Commission for its leadership and speed in delivering the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate (DCC).

Speaking about the newly launched initiative, IATA deputy director-general Conrad Clifford said: “The DCC was delivered in record time to help facilitate the reopening of EU states to travel. In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccine certificates, it should serve as a blueprint for other nations looking to implement digital vaccination certificates to help facilitate travel and its associated economic benefits.”

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The EU DCC meets several key criteria for an effective digital vaccination certificate. The DCC and DCC QR code have the flexibility to be used in both paper and digital format, and the QR code contains essential information, as well as a digital signature, to make sure the certificate is authentic.

The European Commission has created a gateway through which encrypted data used to sign DCCs, and required to authenticate certificate signatures, can be distributed across the EU. The gateway can be also used to distribute encrypted data of non-EU certificate issuers and the EU has also developed a specification for machine-readable validation rules for cross-country travel.

Another benefit of the DCC is that it gives holders access to sites that require proof of vaccination, such as museums, sporting events and concerts.

The EU DCC has been implemented in all 27 EU member states (listed below), and a number of reciprocal agreements have been made with other states, including Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccination certificates, up to 60 other countries are looking to use the DCC specification for their own certification.

The 27 EU Member States