The European Union updated its rules on the export of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, giving it a clearer right to ban shipments to countries such as Israel with higher inoculation rates and for those who do not dispense. their own vaccine doses.
EU trade head Dombrovskis said at a press conference that the export licensing approach was not targeted at any particular country.
The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for 27 EU members, has outlined a proposal to extend existing measures aimed at ensuring that planned exports by drug dealers do not occur. already threatening to reduce EU supply.
The implementation of export licenses will be based on proportionality and “proportionality” – the epidemiological situation, level of vaccination and access to vaccines in the country of destination.
EU officials say export restrictions could also start if companies respect seasonal contracts but load goods back at the end of that period.
Dombrovskis said the new rules did not create a detailed algorithm of authorization and that applications would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The scheme will also expand the network to include 17 neighboring countries, including the UK, Norway and Switzerland. Previously exempted, exports to these countries must also be licensed.
There is a danger that tensions will move after Brexit with London, which has warned Brussels against “vaccine nationalism”.
ALARMING THIRD WAVE
The proposal is expected to be the subject of debate on Thursday at an online summit of EU leaders, at which countries are battling a third wave of diseases that have triggered tougher locks amid slow release of vaccines. .
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the situation in many EU countries was “appalling”, with cases growing in 19 EU members and deaths rising in eight.
While France, Germany and Italy generally support tighter export loops on non-returners, countries including the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland more cautious about cutting off Britain.
A leading French adviser has said the EU should not be a kind of “useful fool” in the fight against the virus.
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin said the EU restriction on vaccine exports would be a “step backwards”.
A spokesman for the UK government said all countries were fighting the same pandemic and Britain would continue to work with European partners to deliver the vaccine spread.
The Commission maintains that it is not an export ban and says that priority systems set up for the vaccination of citizens in other countries are a de facto ban even if they are not so called.
The bloc said it had sent 43 million doses to 33 countries since the end of January, bringing in 10.9 million to Britain. About 380 export requests were granted and only one was blocked – from Italy to Australia.
To date the EU has approved four COVID-19 vaccines. AstraZeneca doses were expected to be the vaccine for the general population, but delivery is and will be much lower than originally indicated.
EU countries have given doses to around 10% of their adult populations and have looked to Britain giving at least one vaccine to more than half of the adults, suffering from almost without delivery problems, despite the fact that the same plants are officially ruled by both.
The Commission’s proposal is effective unless it is opposed by a “guaranteed majority” of EU members, which is very unlikely.