BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union on Wednesday pushed for tighter export controls for coronavirus vaccines, trying to make sure its 27 nations had more COVID-19 shots to boost the vaccine campaign against the block in the midst of an increase in new infections.
The EU Executive Committee said on the eve of a summit of EU leaders that it had a plan to ensure more vaccines produced in the bloc were available to its 450 million citizens, even if it would cost aid to nations outside the bloc, especially Britain.
EU officials said trade with the United States should not be affected and assured nations trying to have an open and transparent relationship with the bloc that they feared little.
The EU measure is expected to be a severe blow to Britain, the rapid implementation of which has been envied by many EU nations, especially since it occurred when the UK formally formalized its divorce. of the blog’s Brexit. The latest figures show that 45% of Britons have received at least one vaccine, compared to less than 14% of the block.
“I specifically mention the UK,” said European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis. Since the end of January, “about 10 million doses have been exported from the EU to the UK and zero doses have been exported from the UK to the EU”.
“So it’s clear that we also need to look at these aspects of reciprocity and proportionality,” he said.
In the post-Brexit era, the two sides have been fighting for everything from diplomatic representation to border controls and bureaucracy, but they have not wanted to take the same tone of confrontation over life-saving vaccines, especially when the ‘World Health Organization is setting off alarms. by the rise of new infections across Europe.
Just hours after the Commission’s move, both the EU and the UK said in a joint statement that “we are all facing the same pandemic and that the third wave is making EU-UK cooperation still more important”.
“In the end, the openness and global cooperation of all countries will be key to finally overcoming this pandemic and ensuring better preparedness to meet future challenges,” the statement said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said global cooperation on vaccines has been the EU standard. The blog has approved the shipment of 41 million doses of vaccine to 33 countries in the past seven weeks and believes it is at the forefront of international efforts to share vaccines. The overall total number of vaccines exported is even higher, as many more were not covered by the recent export regime.
Some EU member states preparing for Thursday’s summit feared, however, that too harsh an export stance could lead to a de facto ban on exports that undermines the EU’s reputation as a trading bloc. open.
Under a less stringent export control system in place to date, only one shipment of vaccines has been banned in 381. This was aimed at Australia, which has a very limited coronavirus outbreak compared to the third wave of infections that they now have many EU countries.
“We have achieved more than enough doses for the entire population. But we need to ensure the timely and sufficient delivery of vaccines to EU citizens, “von der Leyen said.” Every day counts. “
Under the new regime, EU officials would also consider reciprocity and find an appropriate balance.
Canada also receives vaccines from Europe and has received assurances “that these measures will not affect vaccine shipments to Canada,” a Canadian government spokesman said.
The EU has been arguing with AstraZeneca for months over the exact amount of vaccine doses that would be delivered on certain dates. Several vaccine producers, including Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca, were affected by technical production delays during the winter, in the same way that global demands for coronavirus vaccines skyrocketed. AstraZeneca has been producing less than half of the doses the EU had.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tried to ease tensions over vaccines, speaking by telephone in recent days with European leaders, including von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“The collaboration we have with our European colleagues is very, very important and we continue to work with them,” Johnson told lawmakers Wednesday. “I don’t think the blockages of either vaccines … or vaccine ingredients make sense.”
“I would just gently point out to anyone considering a lockout … that companies can examine these actions and draw conclusions about whether it is reasonable to make future investments in countries where blockades are imposed,” Johnson said.
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Rob Gillies contributed from Toronto, Jill Lawless from London.
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