Forward from: NIKOS VAKOLIDIS
Considering the terrifying consequences for our health and freedoms if this law is going to be approved, we are inviting all of you to quickly mobilize all your national networks TOMORROW (Wednesday, March 24) and send massively emails (see below) to the members of the LIBE committee (which will be responsible) by Thursday (meeting will take place at 11 a.m.). Our EU expert has identified the critical issues as related to the EU internal procedures, existent regulations and treaties which should be used to challenge all involved in taking decisions at EU level regarding vaccination certificate. It is URGENT to request our EU parliament representatives to resist any pressure exercised by the Commission and to oppose to the fast-track procedure in order to attentively examine the proposal ensuring respect of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by EU treaties and to allow for any necessary amendments.
We are kindly inviting you to urgently send by this Thursday morning to the LIBE committee members – please identify the ones from your country and any other relevant ones – chair, vice-chair etc. (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/libe/home/members), your nationals and any others you find relevant the below email message (you may adjust it).
Subject: URGENT CALL TO REJECT THE “FAST-TRACK” PROCEDURE OF THE DRAFT REGULATION CONCERNING THE “DIGITAL GREEN CERTIFICATE”
Dear Members of the European Parliament,
We (I) would like to bring your attention to the critical issues concerning the “digital green certificate” regulations proposed which are clearly challenging existing EU internal procedures, existent regulations and treaties:
1. The procedural checks and balances have not been respected - there is no impact assessment, no cost-benefit analysis, no Committee of the Regions or Economic and Social Committee consultations (although not compulsory, the two would have been highly recommended on a subject of such impact on the European public), no compulsory public consultation offered to the European public to express views, no public debate, no possibility for the population to react. All these basic safeguards were waived under the presumption of urgency, which itself is not justified, as results from various Recitals of the proposal (e.g., Recital 17) which clearly confirm that there is no scientific evidence at this point to support the idea that a vaccinated person is no longer contagious. Hence, a person carrying such a certificate is no more of a 'threat' to a country's public health than a non-vaccinated, healthy person. This is sheer discrimination, without any solid scientific justification as to why such unprecedented limitations to our fundamental rights are taking place in the European society.
2. The mere concept of a certificate which fulfils the function of a health passport (i.e., containing proof of vaccination, testing or recovery) is contrary to the guaranteed right to free movement within EU. There is no point in talking about a free-border Schengen area where we need to carry with us a certificate to prove that we can cross an internal border or even move within a country. This is the end of Schengen.
3. The proposed legal act doesn’t provide any clarification on intended use for this certificate, with the exception of free movement. No a priori limitation is provided, which essentially amounts to a carte blanche to any potential usages. Clear examples exist - Israel but also European countries such as Denmark - where public authorities are publicizing materials showing the existing or potential use of these certificates varying from flight companies to school access, access to working place or even access to one's own domicile. Clear limitations and guarantees must exist inb law, ensuring that this certificate cannot be misused in the future to abuse or limit in any way person's fundamental rights, and introduce discriminatory action by state and non-state actors.
