Home » EU Summit, Draghi: “Europeans deceived by some pharmaceutical companies”

EU Summit, Draghi: “Europeans deceived by some pharmaceutical companies”

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Brussels – The United States is determined to revitalize the alliance with Europe and ready to work together on the global distribution of effective and safe anti-Covid vaccines. The president of the United States, Joe Biden, in his brief connection to the videoconference of the leaders – half an hour in all – spoke of the revival of transatlantic relations, of the fight against climate change and of collaboration on sera, reaching out to the Old Continent. Nothing operational, but an important signal, with a total change of tone compared to the era of Donald Trump.

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The president of the European Council did the honors, Charles Michel, who worked on the success of this appointment, the first since the time of Barack Obama, since Biden’s inauguration in the White House. A meeting full of meaning, and above all of new stimuli, for a Union bent by the third wave of the pandemic, frustrated by AstraZeneca’s cuts and delays, but determined to “step up efforts” to hit the 70% immunization target by the end of summer.

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The pressing of Mario Draghi, Emmanuel Macron, e Angela Merkel, between self-criticism and firmness, it was pressing. And the German Chancellor, as announced in recent days, also supported the possibility of Brussels starting discussions to assess the feasibility of including Sputnik V in the Union’s strategy. An exploratory activity awaiting the European Medicines Agency to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the serum.

Mario Draghi’s speech

In his speech to the European Council, the President of the Italian Council Mario Draghi on the other hand, he argued the need not to remain helpless in the face of commitments not honored by some pharmaceutical companies. According to what is learned in Brussels, Draghi said that European citizens have the feeling that they have been deceived by some pharmaceutical companies and to stand still and not take action would be difficult to explain. Draghi also gave his “full support” to the proposal of the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to strengthen the European mechanism on vaccine exports.

The premier then fully shared the European Commission’s proposal to introduce a digital green certificate, also inviting to investigate some possible obstacles to the execution of the project. “The member states will need all the help that the commission can give”, Draghi recalled, “because having national platforms and making them interoperable is not a trivial result”. Draghi also called on leaders to reflect on how to address the possible risks of discrimination between people caused by the introduction of the certificate.

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On the international role of the euro, he invited us to take an example from the United States. “In the US they have a union of capital markets, a complete banking union, and a safe asset”, Draghi noted, according to what is learned from EU sources, adding that these elements are the key to the international role of the dollar.

The acceleration of vaccine production

“The acceleration of the production, delivery and diffusion” of vaccines, was reiterated in the final declaration of the videoconference, remains essential to overcome the crisis “, but it is equally important that” companies guarantee the predictability of their production and respect the contractual delivery deadlines “, the leaders insisted, referring mainly to AstraZeneca, which of the 120 million doses envisaged in the contract for the first quarter, then reduced to 30 million, has now distributed only 18 million.

Less than a week before the end of March, 12 million are still in hiding, which is how much is missing to complete the supply of 100 million serums, according to the presentation by the president of the Commission. Ursula Von der Leyen, now ready to play the legal route card too.

By the end of this week, distribution in the EU will rise to 88 million, while 62 have been inoculated, for a total of 18.2 million Europeans who have received the two injections, or 4.1% of total citizens. of the EU. Still far too little. The second quarter promises to be better, with 360 million doses scheduled for delivery, including 200 from Pfizer.

But the striking figure is also the 77 million immunizers exported from the EU from December to today, of which 21 million to the United Kingdom. Mainly Pfizer serums, but also over a million shots of AstraZeneca, transferred from the Union between December and January, before the export authorization mechanism came into force. A tool recently strengthened by the Commission to have more room for maneuver in defense of supplies for Europeans and to stop vaccine ‘slys’.

An initiative that, despite the concerns expressed by the Belgian Alexander De Croo, from Dutch Mark Rutte, from Swedish Stefan Lofven, from the Danish Mette Frederiksen and from Irish Michael Martin it received support, but with appeals for caution and the request that the European Commission consult before taking measures against companies and states. In any case, Von der Leyen said shortly, “the doses produced in the EU will be destined for the EU”.

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The first target could be the United Kingdom, with which the EU continues to negotiate on the basis of a commitment to find solutions, which, however, cannot yet be found on the substantial issues of AstraZeneca’s production. All the more so after the peremptory words of the British Health Minister Matt Hancock today: the contract signed in advance by London months ago with AstraZeneca has greater legal weight than the one signed later by the EU, he cut short.

In particular, the cuts by the Oxford company have brought some EU countries to their knees that had renounced supplies of more expensive serums by focusing on low-cost doses.

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Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia have insisted on obtaining quotas of the 10 million doses advanced by Pfizer precisely to cope with emergencies. But there was no sympathy for Sebastian Kurz, who, having led the rioters, found himself in the corner to obtain a correction on the divisions. “The contracts with the pharmaceutical companies were signed by the states, not by some stupid bureaucrat,” Merkel warned.

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The declaration on Turkey

The Union, in the joint declaration dedicated to the Eastern Mediterranean, then said it was ready to “strengthen the recent positive dynamic” in the Eastern Mediterranean, it was “ready to engage with Turkey”, in a “proportionate, phased and reversible way”, to “increase cooperation in a number of areas of common interest and to take further decisions in the June European Council”.

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The areas of cooperation mentioned include the economy, public health, climate, the fight against terrorism and the problems of the region. And on migration management “cooperation with Turkey should be strengthened, in particular in border protection, in the fight against illegal migration, as well as in the return of irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers to Turkey, in accordance with the EU declaration. Turkey “of March 2016.

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The EU takes note of the de-escalation in the Eastern Mediterranean and of the steps forward in the dialogue with Greece and Cyprus and for this reason gives a mandate to the Commission to prepare for June a proposal for a new check to Turkey for migrants after the six billion mark in 2016. and to move forward on the customs union with Ankara in order to improve trade relations. Leaders warn that in the event of new Turkish provocations all this will evaporate.

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Finally, the EU leaders note, “the rule of law and fundamental rights remain a key concern” and “dialogue on these issues remains an integral part of the EU-Turkey relationship”. The “targeting of political parties and media and other recent decisions” are mentioned, which represent “a big step backwards for human rights”.

Economic recovery

“The Recovery and Resilience Facility is essential to support ambitious reforms and investments to finance green and digital transitions and increase the growth potential of our economies,” the conclusions read. The leaders stressed “the need for a robust, inclusive and sustainable recovery and better economic resilience, as a prerequisite for a strong international role for the euro”.

The EU heads of state and government “ask to continue work on an effective framework to further stimulate the growth of the green financial market in the EU”. This “will help sustain Europe’s leadership in green finance”.

The “exploratory work” of the ECB “on the possible introduction of a digital euro must be continued”, they also stressed.

The final press conference of Michel and Von der Leyen

“We have had to make difficult decisions”, but “it is absolutely vital to continue working to increase vaccine production and our ability to distribute them in member states,” said the President of the European Council. Charles Michel, in the press conference at the end of the European Council.

In the use of the mechanism of transparency and authorization for the export of vaccines “there will be no errors” and “the European Union is proud to be the home of vaccine manufacturers who not only supply doses to European citizens, but export everything the world “, said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “The European Union is and will forever be a fervent supporter of global cooperation and our registry speaks for itself,” he added. Von der Leyen, however, confirmed that the EU wants “certainty about its doses”.

“The pharmaceutical substance that was used for the filling of the doses at the Italian” Anagni “site came from South Korea and China”, as planned for “the production of vaccines for Covax”, he added. “The company” AstraZeneca “has clarified that of the 29 million doses 13 million are for Covax and 16 million are for European Member States” and “it is important for us that the vaccines are delivered to Covax which is the main pillar to ensure that low-income countries have access to vaccines “.

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