Introduction of the EU Digital COVID Certificate in Slovenia: Technological and Process Aspects.

ABSTRACT

In early 2021, the European Commission presented a proposal to introduce an EU Digital COVID Certificate, which should enable safe border crossings for citizens within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, all EU Member States successfully introduced the EU Digital COVID Certificate by 1 July 2021. This article focuses on a review of the technological and process aspects identified in the introduction of the EU Digital COVID Certificate in Slovenia. The research applies a case study framework, including focus group discussions, as the primary data collection method. The research findings expose the technological and process complexities related to the dispersed data sources and fairly intricate and copious business rules used for the creation of the EU Digital COVID Certificate. Moreover, the study implies that the ad hoc introduction of such demanding and sensitive digital solutions in the future will not be possible without the establishment of effective national health information infrastructures across the EU.