ATHENS — EU member states adopted guidelines on the proof of vaccination for medical purposes on Thursday, following a proposal by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his office said.

"The first step in the implementation of Kyriakos Mitsotakis' proposal for a European vaccination certificate was made today," the PM's office said.

The proposal, it added, is a significant start. "The next step should be the expansion of their uses to facilitate Europeans' travel, when a large enough percentage will have been vaccinated. In spite of some critics in Greece, the implementation of the prime minister's proposal is moving along step by step, and the sooner it becomes reality, the better for all," it highlighted.

According to a European Commission statement the same day, the EU member states and the European Commission adopted the guidelines aiming "for a scheme that can accommodate both paper and digital means, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with existing national solutions, and a rigorous protection of personal data."

Meanwhile, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday to "follow the track" proposed by the Council of Europe on Wednesday that lifts patents restrictions for the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines.

The main opposition party was referring to a clause of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's resolution, which reads: "the Assembly thus urges member states and the European Union to overcome the barriers and restrictions arising from patents and intellectual property rights, in order to ensure the widespread production and distribution of vaccines in all countries and to all citizens."

SYRIZA said that party leader Alexis Tsipras had also put forth the idea during parliamentary discussions, and that the prime minister should proceed along the lines of this latest proposal by the Council of Europe.

"The Prime Minister should not wait stoically for pharmaceutical companies to honor their contracts (…), as it would be better for the country to follow suit towards the lifting of vaccine patents", added the party.