The European Commission has published an EU toolbox for the use of mobile applications for contact tracing and warning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The publication of the toolbox follows the Commission's recommendation (C(2020) 2296 final) of 8 April 2020 on a common EU toolbox for the use of technology and data to combat and exit from the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis (see Legal update, COVID-19: European Commission Recommendation on exit strategies by EU toolbox and smartphone apps).

The toolbox sets out the essential requirements for contact tracing apps. The Commission says that it reflects the latest best practices in the use of mobile contact tracing and warning apps to tackle the crisis, and is part of an ongoing process where member states work together to devise, and refine, in the coming weeks and months, the use of this and other practical tools. Topics covered in the toolbox include:

The Commission says that by 30 April 2020, public health authorities will assess the effectiveness of the apps at national and cross-border level. Member states should report on their actions by 31 May 2020 and make the measures accessible to other member states and the Commission for peer review. The Commission will assess the progress made and publish periodic reports starting in June 2020 and continuing throughout the crisis, recommending action on the phasing out of measures that seem no longer necessary.

The toolbox is stated to be accompanied by guidance on data protection for such mobile apps but that guidance had not yet been published at the time of writing. Practical Law Data Protection will report on the data protection guidance when it is published.

Source: European Commission press release: Coronavirus: An EU approach for efficient contact tracing apps to support gradual lifting of confinement measures, 16 April 2020.