BRUSSELS – The European Commission has proposed by the end of March to introduce a control regime over the export of vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) to third countries, with the exception of those to which the EU has pledged to supply vaccines.
As Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides said at a press conference on Jan. 29, the list of exceptions to this export transparency scheme includes about a hundred countries, including the EU Eastern Partnership countries [Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan], Western Balkan states and client countries of the COVAX international vaccine fund.
Kyriakides said this measure is not targeting any specific third country.
The export authorization scheme for COVID-19 vaccines outside the EU will remain in effect until the end of March 2021. It applies only to the export of products of companies with which the EU has entered into pre-purchase agreements, the commission said.
According to the statement, “this measure is targeted, transparent, proportionate, temporary and consistent with the EU’s international obligations in the WTO and the G20.”
