European leaders took stock of the Covid-19 pandemic, during two short hours, at their meeting in Brussels on Thursday 10 December. Unsurprisingly, they adopted conclusions that were almost similar to the draft texts that had been circulated in the media in the previous days (see EUROPE 12619/5).
Only a small sentence referring to ongoing assessments, including international health regulations, was added to the text in the paragraph on international cooperation.
At the press conferences following the discussion, several Heads of State or Government welcomed the European Commission's efforts to ensure access to future vaccines for all.
“Europe, on this point, has given a response equal to the challenge it has had to face”, commented the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. He acknowledged “the extraordinary merit of joint action between Member States and the European Commission to negotiate with pharmaceutical groups for equitable access to vaccines when science provides the answers”.
For his part, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called for “quick and unbureaucratic approval”.
The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, said that “everyone has a role to play to ensure that we can distribute vaccines widely and as affordably as possible, and not just within our own borders”.
Link to the conclusions : https://bit.ly/2JVDEk9 (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean, with the editorial staff)