National COVID-19 contact tracing apps

Briefing 15-05-2020

While the coordination of cross-border interoperable COVID-19 contact tracing apps is a competence of the European Commission, their development is a national competence. This short briefing summarises the current efforts towards, functionalities of and technical decisions on the development of national COVID-19 apps, with a focus on the ongoing centralised vs. decentralised approach and the interoperability of different apps across Europe. All Member States and the Commission consider the interoperability of the apps and backend servers to be essential for the effective tracing of cross-border infection chains, especially for cross-border workers and neighbouring countries. Ultimately, this effort will support the gradual lifting of border controls within the EU and the restoration of the single market’s integrity.