EU leaders again discussed, in a videoconference on Thursday 25 March, how to accelerate the production, delivery and deployment of Covid-19 vaccines. Not surprisingly, the discussion focused on AstraZeneca’s delays, the correction system for dose allocation and the export authorisation mechanism.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, provided the EU27 with the latest figures on vaccination in the European Union. By the end of the week, a total of 88 million doses will have been delivered, 62 million doses administered and 18.2 million people fully vaccinated, representing 4.1% of the total European population. Latvia and Bulgaria are the furthest behind.
“We could have gone faster, if the companies had honoured their obligations”, commented the President, taking direct aim at AstraZeneca. From the Heads of State or Government, the tone was one of appeasement. “There is a strong will to reach a consensual agreement with the UK “, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said, echoing a statement issued the day before by the European Commission and the UK to reach a mutually beneficial solution.
On the positive side, AstraZeneca is said to have finally submitted its application for approval of the Halix site in the Netherlands to the European Medicines Agency, which is expected to make its decision by the end of the month.
On Friday, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton will be in Portugal to discuss with the authorities how to increase production capacity in the EU.
Exports and correction
Ms von der Leyen presented to the EU27 the review of the export transparency mechanism for Covid-19 vaccines, presented the day before (see EUROPE 12685/7), recalling that a total of around 77 million doses have been exported from the EU since 1 December 2020.
As for the new rules of the transparency mechanism, several Member States fear that exports may be blocked. “The mechanism is considered acceptable by the European Council. But there is still a general feeling that this instrument should not be used, that the wider consequences must be taken into account”, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after the meeting.
Belgium and Germany share this reservation and are concerned about the future of supply chains in the event of an export ban on doses. “It is crucial for us that value chains not be disrupted. A ban should be targeted at vaccine producers who do not respect their commitment, and as a last resort”, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a press conference.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in contrast, considered that the mechanism is fully justified. “It is about preventing other developed countries from benefiting from supplies from companies that have contracts with the EU and have not fulfilled them”, he said.
The EU27 also discussed how to allocate the10 million doses to be delivered in advance by Pfizer-BioNTech (see EUROPE 12679/1). After the failure of discussions in the steering board, EU leaders referred the issue to the level of Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper).
The Joint Declaration adopted at the end of the meeting confirms the “the pro-rata population key for the allocation of vaccines” and invites Coreper to distribute these doses “in a spirit of solidarity” in order to support the least endowed countries.
In front of the press, Mr Rutte stressed that Croatia, Latvia and Bulgaria should be seen as priorities at this moment.
The 30% of doses reserved for the Member States most affected by the coronavirus was rejected by Austria, which would not benefit from the new distribution. For its part, Belgium indicated that it considered itself “entitled to it”.
Link to the EU leaders’ statement: https://bit.ly/3vZg7lw (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean and Léa Marchal, with the editorial staff)