During the plenary session (14-17/12) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs present their views on an EU strategy forCOVID-19 vaccinations that addresses challenges inside and outside the EU. They call for coordinated efforts to ensure access to safe vaccines across Europe once EU market authorisation has been granted, fair distribution and the protection of the most vulnerable, as well as equal access to vaccines across the world. Statements by Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe, Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group leader, María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS (RE, ES), Silvia SARDONE (ID, IT), and Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, LU).

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

LIESE, Peter (EPP, DE)

healthcare safety (T)

SCHINAS, Margaritis (EPP-DE, EL, EC)

ROTH, Michael (DE)

RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS, María Soraya (Renew, ES)

METZ, Tilly (Greens/EFA, LU)

SARDONE, Silvia (ID, IT)

Coronavirus outbreak (T)

vaccination strategy (T)

Preparation of an EU Strategy on COVID-19 vaccination, including its external dimension: extracts from the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/6160780/I200336Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Title: Preparation of an EU Strategy on COVID-19 vaccination, including its external dimension: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael ROTH, German Federal Minister of State for Europe, We need the trust of our citizens. We need also to convince them that insofar as is possible or rather, so that rates of vaccination are as high as possible, 60 to 70 percent is considered to be the rate where our society is protected.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, As we approach to the end of the year holiday season, it is only natural that the families and friends wish to travel and spend time together. But make no mistake, we are still very much in the middle of this pandemic and we cannot afford to be complacent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, We are aiming to authorize the BionTech Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. The EMA have already announced their intention to provide for an authorization next Monday. If this is the case, the commission is ready to provide the formal authorization and placing in the market in supersonic fast procedures. We can do in two days the formal authorization that normally for this type of authorization and placing in the markets can even take two months.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life,Once authorized, we will secure access to these vaccines for all EU citizens at the same time.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, We are the European Union, and in our values, we are guided by the principles of solidarity and unity of purpose, and as such, we will donate under the Team Europe approach, us and our member states, a proportion of our vaccines with our Western Balkan partners in our neighborhood, as well as for humanitarian assistance and frontline health workers in the poorest countries.

SOUNDBITE (German), Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), I'm furious with some politicians and journalists who are trying to discredit the EU vaccine authorization process without any knowledge of how it works, not only tabloid journalism but so-called quality journalists as well. And I'm also grateful to the EU agencies working tonight and the companies like Biontech who are working extremely fast to ensure that we get a vaccine as soon as possible.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D Group leader, Thanks to the concerted effort by the commission and the support of the member states. That has all meant that we have had equitable access to vaccines. This shows what we can do when we work together and speak together with a single voice. Now we have to articulate a common vaccination process.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&Iacute;A P&Eacute;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D Group leader,  The support of the EU to the global consortium COVAX led by the WHO is essential to vaccinate the moste vulnerable countries.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (RE, ES), I'd like to tell the commission that the common vaccination strategy is a story of a success, because through it we have signed pre contracts, joint purchases, and I hope we'll be able to do joint vaccinations in this week of vaccinations that was being talked about in the council. And this was the case because we have never in our history had such a large public private financing approach.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Silvia SARDONE (ID, IT), What are the agreements with the drug makers? What are the conditions being used for the purchase agreements? What is the price? Who where does the liability lie if there is some bad side effect? And how what is how efficacious is it and. How does it protect our elderly? We need to have clear certainty, good information, and the European citizens cannot be subjected to the worst.

SOUNDBITE (German), Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, LU), When are you going to allow MEPs to look at the contracts signed with industry so that we are aware or at least of the liability clauses before the beginning of vaccination of US citizens.