ACI Europe, which represents European airports, has urged the European Commission to investigate Malta for “breaching” EU travel rules.
PoliticoPro has seen a letter that ACI Europe has sent the EC’s health, transport and digital departments, in which, ACI Director General Olivier Jankovec said airports would be “extremely grateful” if the Commission investigates the matter “urgently,” contacts the Maltese authorities and asks them to abide by the EU rules.
Jankovec added that the EU digital COVID certificate had been “instrumental” in allowing the restoration of free movement for EU citizens during the pandemic, with its “uniform standards and rules providing a much necessary common trusted framework.”
Malta’s new rules, which came into force on Monday, state that Maltese vaccine certificates for adults aged 18 or over will only be valid for initial vaccine cycles completed within the past three months or boosters within the past nine months.
Vaccine certificates of under-18s, who aren’t eligible for the booster, will be based fully on the initial vaccine cycle.
Maltese residents returning to Malta after 17 January without a valid vaccine certificate will be granted a two-week grace period, but from 1 February onwards, such people will be “asked” to quarantine for 14 days.
The rules have been opposed by the Malta International Airport and are already creating confusion internationally, with the Italian Embassy in Malta not specifying in a statement on its website that they only apply to Maltese vaccine certificate holders.
Source: Lovin Malta
