This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/518384-eu-block-covid-vaccine-exports/
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| European Commission chief warns bloc could bar Covid vaccine exports to countries with higher inoculation rates | European Commission chief warns bloc could bar Covid vaccine exports to countries with higher inoculation rates |
| (6 months later) | |
| The European Commission (EC) president has warned it could block vaccine exports “to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us,” and describes the slow rollout and rise in Covid as “the crisis of the century.” | The European Commission (EC) president has warned it could block vaccine exports “to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us,” and describes the slow rollout and rise in Covid as “the crisis of the century.” |
| Ursula von der Leyen made the comments as she spoke to reporters on Wednesday, declaring that the EU will work to protect its own citizens as cases soar in parts of the bloc, forcing nations to consider and implement new lockdowns. | Ursula von der Leyen made the comments as she spoke to reporters on Wednesday, declaring that the EU will work to protect its own citizens as cases soar in parts of the bloc, forcing nations to consider and implement new lockdowns. |
| Warning that the EC is “ready to use whatever tool we need” to increase the speed of the vaccine initiative across its member states, Von der Leyen again raised the threat of using recently approved provisions to block exports of doses to countries that produce vaccines themselves or have a higher inoculation rate. | Warning that the EC is “ready to use whatever tool we need” to increase the speed of the vaccine initiative across its member states, Von der Leyen again raised the threat of using recently approved provisions to block exports of doses to countries that produce vaccines themselves or have a higher inoculation rate. |
| “If this situation does not change, we will have to reflect on how to make exports to vaccine-producing countries dependent on their level of openness,” she said, adding that any further restrictions would require the EC to “reflect on whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate.” | “If this situation does not change, we will have to reflect on how to make exports to vaccine-producing countries dependent on their level of openness,” she said, adding that any further restrictions would require the EC to “reflect on whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate.” |
| Refuting criticism of measures that limit vaccine exports, Von der Leyen highlighted how 314 authorization requests had been made to the EU so far, with only one being denied. That one refusal was for a shipment of more than 250,000 doses that was due to go from Italy, a country facing a third wave, to Australia, a nation that’s managed to contain the outbreak. | Refuting criticism of measures that limit vaccine exports, Von der Leyen highlighted how 314 authorization requests had been made to the EU so far, with only one being denied. That one refusal was for a shipment of more than 250,000 doses that was due to go from Italy, a country facing a third wave, to Australia, a nation that’s managed to contain the outbreak. |
| While the EC’s focus is on limiting exports out of the continent, some European nations have called on the bloc to address “possible gaps in the vaccine distribution between member states,” suggesting it has been unfairly weighted so far. | While the EC’s focus is on limiting exports out of the continent, some European nations have called on the bloc to address “possible gaps in the vaccine distribution between member states,” suggesting it has been unfairly weighted so far. |
| Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Slovenia joined together to call on the EC to ensure all members were treated equally in vaccine distribution, without explicitly naming which states they think have received preferential treatment. | Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Slovenia joined together to call on the EC to ensure all members were treated equally in vaccine distribution, without explicitly naming which states they think have received preferential treatment. |
| While the EC’s blockage of the shipment to Australia was met with understanding by politicians in Canberra, a similar attempt to hinder such exports to the UK sparked anger in Northern Ireland, and concern in Dublin and London. | While the EC’s blockage of the shipment to Australia was met with understanding by politicians in Canberra, a similar attempt to hinder such exports to the UK sparked anger in Northern Ireland, and concern in Dublin and London. |
| In January, the EC moved to invoke Article 16 of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement to limit vaccine deliveries to the UK in what was described by some Northern Irish politicians as “an incredible act of hostility,” before reversing the decision. | In January, the EC moved to invoke Article 16 of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement to limit vaccine deliveries to the UK in what was described by some Northern Irish politicians as “an incredible act of hostility,” before reversing the decision. |
| Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! | Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! |
| Dear readers and commenters, | |
| We have implemented a new engine for our comment section. We hope the transition goes smoothly for all of you. Unfortunately, the comments made before the change have been lost due to a technical problem. We are working on restoring them, and hoping to see you fill up the comment section with new ones. You should still be able to log in to comment using your social-media profiles, but if you signed up under an RT profile before, you are invited to create a new profile with the new commenting system. | |
| Sorry for the inconvenience, and looking forward to your future comments, | |
| RT Team. |