EU Implements Stricter Vaccine Export Controls

• The European Union has promised to ensure the vaccine’s availability to the residents of its 27 member countries.
• The EU’s commitment to its member countries will not hinder its relationship with the United States and other countries with which they have a vaccine trade agreement.
• However, the U.K. will especially be affected by the EU’s decision now that Brexit is in place.

The European Union (EU) is gearing to implement stricter control over its coronavirus vaccine exports. This is to ensure the availability of the shots for its 27 member countries amidst the surge of new infections.

The day before the EU’s leaders summit, the Executive Commission announced its commitment to have the European-produced vaccines widely accessible to its nearly 450 million citizens, making sure they have enough. This decision would mean that the bloc will lessen its export of the vaccine to countries outside of the EU, like Britain.

Despite that, the bloc’s officials assured the United States that the decision will not affect its trade with the country. This also goes to other nations that have an open and transparent relationship with the European Union.

EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement 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. So it’s clear that we also need to look at those aspects of reciprocity and proportionality.” 

The EU and the U.K. have been in a constant argument over a few topics post-Brexit. Nevertheless, they decided to reduce confrontations over the vaccines — more so now that the World Health Organization is warning the countries about the new wave of infections all over Europe.

A joint statement by the EU and the U.K. reads, “we are all facing the same pandemic and the third wave makes cooperation between the EU and the U.K. even more important. In the end, openness and global cooperation of all countries will be key to finally overcome this pandemic and ensure better preparation for meeting future challenges.”

Source: AP News