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By Francesco Guarascio
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Eu states can simply buy potential vaccines opposed to COVID-19 as a component of a procurement program co-directed through the World Health Organization, the European Commission said in what appears to be a position replacement.
The measure may allow EU governments to discharge vaccines from corporations that do not negotiate with Brussels, such as US corporations Merck, Inovio and Novavax.They are all in talks with the WHO programme, called COVAX, but have not been reported to be in talks.negotiations with the European Commission.
EU states have pledged to have no interaction in parallel negotiations with the same vaccine brands that are being discussed at EU level, but this “does not rule out the option of engaging in negotiations with other COVAX vaccine corporations,” said a European Commission spokesman…
It would be a replacement in the policy after the EU executive pleaded with the 27 EU governments to purchase vaccines through the WHO programme, deeming it slow, expensive and legally incompatible with the programme.’parallel eu acquisition, EU officials said in July.
The obvious replacement came after WHO eased situations for rich countries to sign up for its programme in August, which aims to protect 2 billion doses for 20% of the world’s most vulnerable other people by the end of 2021.
It also followed the complaint that the EU was undermining WHO’s initiative, sees itself as a champion of multilateralism and a supporter of equitable access to vaccines for all.
By forcing EU states to buy only through an EU system, the Commission can simply reduce the limited number of doses that will be given first to the least developed countries, as it would give priority to the EU’s 450 million citizens, thus replicating nationalist policies.U.S. and other countries critical of the WHO initiative.
The EU has reached an early acquisition agreement on COVID-19 vaccines with AstraZeneca and has said it is in talks with Johnson.
EU officials told Reuters in July that the bloc is also talking to Pfizer and BionTech about the plan they are developing together.
NOT SO CLEAR
As a component of a confidential agreement noted through Reuters, EU states have pledged to start initial negotiations on the initial acquisition of vaccines with corporations already in talks with the EU.
They are also allowed to have parallel talks if they withdraw from agreements signed through the European Commission.
The European Commission’s interpretation of this clause so far is strict.Possibly now I would have accepted a softer posture.
It is unclear whether EU states will buy through COVAX, as this can lead to higher costs, an EU official concerned in the discussions told Reuters.
When Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands signed an initial agreement with AstraZeneca in June on their possible vaccine, many EU governments complained that they had been kidnapped, even though they theoretically presented themselves in doses.
When asked what would happen if the Commission began discussions with a vaccine manufacturer after an EU government had already started talks with COVAX, a European Commission spokesperson made no comment.
So far, the European Commission has committed 400 million euros ($475 million) in pledges to COVAX, but has also said that the terms of its participation are still in negotiation.
He also bravably says that he would donate surplus vaccines to the poorest countries he acquires as a component of his program, in what seems to reflect COVAX’s service.
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(Information through Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; additional information through Andreas Rinke, edited through Angus MacSwan)