The upcoming challenges of coordinating ‘EU vaccine solidarity’, both globally and internally, and the health consequences of the war in Ukraine, which is causing a massive influx of refugees into Europe, will dominate the meeting of EU Member States’ health ministers in Brussels on Tuesday 29 March, chaired by French Minister Olivier Véran.
EU vaccine strategy and solidarity. As regards the internal aspects of the vaccination strategy, the health situation in the EU has improved, but the epidemic is not over. Vaccine supply tensions have been resolved for the time being. Stocks are built up. The ministers will discuss ways to improve the coordination of scientific expertise.
At the global level, the coordination of vaccine donations will mobilise the ministers. They will discuss the levers that have been identified to strengthen the European Donation Strategy.
The WHO target, to which the EU and the G7 are committed to contributing, is still to vaccinate 70% of the world’s population by the end of the first half of 2022 (see EUROPE 12855/2).
Member States have so far provided half of the vaccine doses delivered to low- and middle-income countries through Covax, the global facility for equitable and universal access to vaccines (see EUROPE 12870/21, 12863/15). The EU and its Member States have committed to deliver at least 700 million doses by mid-2022 (see EUROPE 12843/3).
War in Ukraine. The ministers will be briefed by the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, on the temporary protection granted by the EU and its Member States to Ukrainian refugees in the EU (see EUROPE 12918/2) and on efforts to coordinate their care and to reunite families who have been separated. The issue of vaccinating these refugees may be addressed. Transfers of Ukrainian patients have already taken place between Member States (see EUROPE 12919/9).
Miscellaneous items. The French Presidency will brief the ministers on the mandate given by the EU Council in early March to the European Commission to negotiate, on behalf of the EU, an international agreement, convention or instrument under the auspices of the WHO for the prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics and to proceed with amendments to the International Health Regulations. This agreement is intended to be concluded by 2024 (see EUROPE 12903/21). The European Council considers that this future agreement is part of the implementation of international cooperation on global health governance and solidarity.
They will have an exchange on the work that has been carried out at ministerial level on European health, a common thread of the French Presidency (see EUROPE 12861/5).
Ministers will also be briefed on the state of negotiations on the proposed regulation on serious cross-border health threats, which aims to improve the EU’s capacity to manage health crises (see EUROPE 12704/2, 12600/24).
Rare diseases. Over lunch, the ministers will exchange views on the European response to rare diseases. The European Commission’s proposal for the creation of a European Health Data Space, expected to be presented on 5 April, represents a particular opportunity for the treatment of rare diseases, according to the French Presidency of the EU Council. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst and Aminata Niang)