Can the EU impose vaccination requirements? Some reflections in the light of the principle of attribution

Abstract

The administration of the first COVID-19 vaccines to the EU citizens has fueled the debate about the possibility that the European Union might introduce a vaccination obligation.
In this regard, the principle of conferral represents a key point. It requires on one side that an explicit competence is conferred to the European Union; and on the other, any act must have a legal basis, specifically an article of Treaty that gives the EU the legal right to the exercise of competences from European Institutions.
This contribution aims to analyse if the European Union could adopt a legal act to impose a mandatory vaccination in the Member States, according to the legal basis.