On Tuesday 15 June, the European Commission unveiled its analysis of the EU’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, both on the European and international scene. Recognising a number of shortcomings and wishing to strengthen Europe’s crisis response capacity, the institution commits to a number of measures.
Firstly, it announces the launch of a new European system for collecting information on pandemics by 2021. Indeed, the Commission recalls that “crucial time has been lost in detecting the real severity of the pandemic” due to the lack of “comparable and comprehensive” data.
The new European information system will build on the existing Early Warning and Response System (EWRS): it should eventually be able to manage and exchange data in real time and be integrated into a new global system.
Another new measure expected by the end of this year is the appointment of a “chief European epidemiologist” who will be responsible for bringing together the leading epidemiologists from the Member States and making recommendations to the Commission. It will also be the “European scientific voice”, responsible for communicating with the general public in times of crisis.
The Commission is also ready to support, as soon as possible, those Member States and industry sectors that wish to set up an important project of common European interest (IPCEI) in the field of health.
More specifically, it should focus on the development of new generations of pharmaceutical products or new manufacturing technologies. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted Europe’s shortcomings in cutting-edge research and innovation, as well as in procurement and production. The Commission believes that public-private partnerships can provide an answer to these gaps.
In addition to these new announcements, the Commission also echoes a number of initiatives it has already outlined. These include: the fight against disinformation related to health issues (see EUROPE 12666/7), the establishment of Europe-wide clinical trials, the creation of a Single Market Emergency Instrument (see EUROPE 12666/5), the strengthening of existing tools (see EUROPE 12741/7).
In addition to this, of course, is his grand plan to create a European Health Emergency Response Authority (see EUROPE 12692/14). The latter, according to the communication, should be operational by early 2022.
Global response and preparation
On the international front, the Commission takes a positive view of the EU’s role in the global response to the pandemic, working together from the outset. It underlines that pandemic preparedness and response is a global priority for the EU in the future.
According to the Commission, the EU must therefore: - continue to lead the global response to the pandemic as ‘Team Europe’ (EU, Member States, European financial institutions) by sharing vaccines through the Covax facility and being open to exports; - strengthen the ‘global health security architecture’, including guiding the strengthening of the WHO as foreseen in the ‘Rome Declaration’ of the Global Health Summit (see EUROPE 12724/5); - establish pandemic preparedness partnerships with key partners.
The Commission recalls that the EU has contributed to the establishment and funding of ACT-A, the Accelerator for Access to Anti-Covid-19 Tools for Poor Countries, and the Covax initiative, to which ‘Team Europe’ is contributing almost €3 billion (of which €1.3 billion from the EU budget). The EU has also pledged to donate 100 million doses of vaccines before the end of the year. It has also provided humanitarian assistance and helped deliver medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas in third countries.
To view the communication: https://bit.ly/2S5peCi (Original version in french by Agathe Cherki and Aminata Niang)