The Flemish Parliament gave the green light on Wednesday for the extension of the use of the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) in Flanders. The current arrangement was due to expire at the end of this month, but is now being temporarily extended. There is no precise end date in the decree, but it is linked to the end of the ‘epidemic emergency’ at federal level. As soon as this emergency is over, the CST can be overhauled, say the majority parties (N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld).
The current draft decree on the application of the CST in Flanders expires at the end of January. The Brussels and Walloon Parliaments have already given the green light for an extension of the use of the CST. The extension will run until April 15 at the latest.
The majority also submitted a proposal in the Flemish Parliament last month that provides for an extension of the CST. That proposal was urgently placed on the agenda on Wednesday and discussed in plenary.
According to the petitioners Katrien Schryvers (CD&V), Lorin Parys (N-VA) and Freya Saeys (Open Vld), the current fifth wave makes it necessary to temporarily hold on to the CST.
“Temporary extension”
The majority parties emphasize that this is a “temporary” extension. The duration of the extension is linked to the duration of the ‘epidemic emergency’, although the Flemish government can decide at any time to intervene earlier. “Hopefully it will no longer be necessary within a few weeks as soon as we end up in the yellow phase (with the yellow phase in corona barometer, the epidemiological situation and the pressure on hospitals are under control, ed.)”, says N-VA MP Parys.
Opposition parties Vlaams Belang and PVDA voted against the extension of the CST. According to Vlaams Belang party leader Chris Janssens, the instrument itself is not only “freedom-restricting and discriminatory”, but it is also “incomprehensible and a real shame” that no thorough parliamentary debate has taken place about the extension. According to Lise Vandecasteele (PVDA), the corona pass provides a “false sense of security” and there are no legitimate arguments to extend the instrument.
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