BRUSSELS -- European Union leaders were looking at ways of ramping up COVID-19 vaccinations across the 27-nation region Thursday amid a shortage of doses, spikes in new cases, a feud with the United Kingdom and internal quarrels.
Three months after vaccination campaigns started, less than 5% of the EU's 450 million residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Speaking ahead of the video talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said problems with the delivery of coronavirus vaccines have underscored the need for the EU to redouble its efforts to produce doses within the bloc.
“We can see clearly that British facilities are producing for Great Britain. The United States isn’t exporting, and therefore we are dependent upon what can be produced in Europe,” she said.
To ensure a steadier vaccine supply, the bloc's executive arm has proposed strengthening export controls for coronavirus shots. Even if the move is detrimental to non-EU nations, the European Commission's goal is to force vaccine manufacturers, especially AstraZeneca, to deliver the doses agreed to in their contracts.
The commission also wants to make sure a principle of export reciprocity is enforced with countries that are producing vaccines or the raw materials needed for them.
EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis explicitly pointed at Britain earlier this week, saying that since the end of January “some 10 million doses have been exported from the EU to the U.K. and zero doses have been exported from the U.K. to the EU.”
The commission's proposal has been divisive. While some countries see it as an instrument of last resort that should not undermine the EU’s reputation as an open trading bloc, others said it is a crucial tool to guarantee doses and vaccine ingredients reach the bloc.
“Some countries refuse to export. So we need to introduce reciprocity criteria if we want to be able to keep our vaccination goal for the summer," said one diplomat, referring to the EU's aim of having 70% of the adult population vaccinated by that season. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity before the summit.
Based on the EU's contracts with manufacturers, the commission expressed confidence that 360 million doses will be delivered during the second quarter of the year.
“Together, we will ensure that Europeans get their fair share of vaccines," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after briefing EU leaders.
Stricter control of exports could have an impact on Britain, whose speedy vaccination rollout after it formally withdrew from EU has been eyed with envy by many European nations. The latest figures show that 45% of British residents have had at least one vaccine shot, compared to less than 14% for the EU.
The EU's contract disputes with British-Swedish company AstraZeneca deepened the post-Brexit tensions. However, the EU and the U.K. pledged this week to increase cooperation and fight Europe's third wave of infections together.
EU officials have said trade with the United States should not be affected by the mechanism. U.S. President Joe Biden has been invited to attend the virtual EU summit.
The leaders of EU member nations also need to settle an internal dispute after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz criticized the distribution of vaccines, saying that some countries were receiving more than their fair share. Austria —is leading a coalition of six countries asking for a correction mechanism.
“The word solidarity is always being called upon and used so often in the European Union – people are trying to take care of the whole world," Kurz said. “And when member states have a lot less vaccines available to them than others, then I think this is a big issue for Europe. I would even go so far as to say that I think that when there is no solution, this could cause damage to the European Union like we haven’t seen in a long time.”
Under the joint procurement set up by the European Commission, doses are allocated on a pro rata basis, but member states are free to place orders directly from the manufacturer of their choice. Some countries are taking less than their pro rata base.
A large majority of EU members think the system is working well and said Austria made a mistake to focus on AstraZeneca shots instead of diversifying its portfolio. To help the countries struggling the most, member nations are examining ways to make efficient use of the 10 million additional doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that were made available for the bloc for the second quarter.
“But the correction won't apply to all member states, only to those who really are in need of solidarity," a diplomat said, requesting anonymity.
Further highlighting division within the EU on vaccinations, Denmark's government announced Thursday it would continue its suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine for three more weeks. Several European countries that had suspended using the vaccine over concerns it could cause blood clots have resumed administering it after the European Union’s drug regulator said it was safe.
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David Rising in Berlin and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.
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The Link LonkMarch 25, 2021 at 06:28PM
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