The transparency and licensing mechanism for exports of Covid-19 vaccines outside the European Union is due to end on 31 March.
But the European Commission plans to extend the regime until the end of June and member states broadly approve of the choice, according to two diplomats quoted by Reuters. The Commission, for its part, indicated that it “is still in the process of consulting the Member States on this matter”.
The implementation of this authorisation system has been widely criticised on the international scene. At the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council meeting held 1-4 March, several member countries said the European Union was “sending the wrong signal” by doing so, and that it should terminate the mechanism at the end of March, according to a WTO official.
Last week, Italy refused the export of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia through the export regime. According to a European official contacted by EUROPE, the “European Commission did not oppose this decision”.
So far, the EU has defended itself against any negative effects of its regime. Before the WTO on Tuesday, it had claimed that all export applications had been authorised (see EUROPE 12670/9). (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)