At the level of the ministers responsible for tourism, Austria agreed with 12 EU countries on a uniform implementation of the “Green Pass”. According to Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP), this should mean that people who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested can take advantage of relief with regard to freedom of travel. The exact design is still open.

The tourism ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain took part in the virtual summit at the invitation of Austria. The priorities for European tourism should be agreed upon and ready by after Easter among the 13 EU countries that took part in the summit today.

“The 'Green Passport' will make sense if it is valid and legible at every airport and hotel in Europe. The practicable implementation is therefore crucial for European tourism. That is why I have invited colleagues from 12 EU countries, in which tourism is just as important an economic and job factor as it is in Austria, to a virtual summit. I am delighted that we were able to close ranks at today's summit. We have agreed that together we will work out the priorities in the Green Pass for tourism. We will then forward these proposals to the European Commission as a joint position ”, said Austria's Minister of Tourism, Elisabeth Köstinger. “Anyone who has been vaccinated, tested or recovered should soon be able to take advantage of the freedom to travel. For this to work, the 'Green Passport' has to be valid across borders, legible everywhere and easy to use. My twelve colleagues and I are doing all we can to ensure that this project is implemented in a practicable manner ”.