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  • 19-01-2021 10:50

EU/Presidency: 'EU has to help other countries to vaccinate' - Portugal official


Brussels, Jan. 19, 2021 (Lusa) - Secretary of State for European Affairs Ana Paula Zacarias stressed today that the EU has to cooperate in the process of vaccination of other countries because the EU "will not be safe" as long as its neighbours "are sick".

"We know that we will not be safe while our neighbours are sick. This is why international cooperation is necessary, and the EU has a great responsibility towards the most vulnerable countries in our eastern and southern neighbourhood," stressed Ana Paula Zacarias.

The Secretary of State spoke during a plenary session of the European Parliament on the "EU global strategy for Covid-19 vaccination", where she said the EU should "talk to other countries" about the COVAX initiative - which foresees the purchase of two billion vaccines by the end of 2021, to be used later in low and middle income countries - but also about strengthening the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"No country will be able to defeat this pandemic alone. We need solidarity, we need to talk to other countries about COVAX, about strengthening the WHO, about technical cooperation, and we need to work with European team spirit. Together we can make the EU and the world a safer place to fight the virus," she stressed.

The debate was also attended by Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who also stressed the need to help countries at the EU's borders in their vaccination processes, underlining that Covid-19 is a "global pandemic that needs global solutions".

"No country, no economy, will truly recover until the virus is under control on every continent. The variants of the virus that have recently emerged are proof of this. The EU is ready to play a geopolitical role in full alignment with its founding principles," she said.

During the debate, where MEPs called for greater international cooperation and transparency in the vaccination process within the EU, Ana Paula Zacarias stressed the need for "unity" between member states and the European institutions in the current pandemic situation, stressing the importance of "preserving the internal market and the Schengen area".

In this context, she welcomed the joint procurement of vaccines by the European Commission, stressing that it was because of the "common European approach" that the EU now had a "glimmer of hope".

"Through a common European approach, we have accelerated the development of many of the most promising vaccines, ensured access to vaccines for every European and managed to authorise vaccines that are safe and efficient," she said.

Stressing that the pandemic situation "will get worse before it gets better", due to the impact of greater social contact "during the festive season" and the "emergence of new highly contagious strains, Ana Paula Zacarias stressed that there are still "reasons to remain optimistic".

"First, the portfolio of authorised vaccines has been increased, both in terms of vaccines and doses. Second, production capacities of authorised vaccines are progressively increasing in Europe. Third, there are vaccines on the waiting list for authorisation in the coming days or weeks".

She called for "clear communication" to be implemented, indicating to citizens in a "transparent manner the number of doses" that the EU receives and administers, but also explaining problems in production chains.

"We need to tackle the lack of confidence in vaccines and convince people of their importance and merit. We must work together to provide clear and effective messages on this: transparency and trust must go hand in hand".

Faced with calls for transparency made by MEPs during the debate - who insisted that they deserved access to the vaccine procurement contracts negotiated by the European Commission with the pharmaceuticals - Commissioner Kyriakides acknowledged that the "democratically elected Parliament" should have the right to "scrutinise" the work of the Commission, but argued that there were "confidentiality clauses".

"As you know, we are bound by confidentiality clauses in contracts, but I welcome the fact that our first supplier of vaccines has agreed to make this text accessible. I hope this is not the end of the road and we will continue to work with vaccine suppliers to get their agreement and extend this access as quickly as possible," the Commissioner stressed.

Ana Paula Zacarias addressed the plenary session as representative of the EU Council, which Portugal is chairing this six-month period.

In addition to the debate on vaccination, the Secretary of State will also take part today in a debate on the humanitarian situation of refugees and migrants at the EU's external borders.

TEYA/AYLS // AYLS

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