During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate with Council and Commission on boosting research to ensure everyone has swift access to future vaccines and treatments for the novel Coronavirus, Covid-19.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

LIESE, Peter (EPP, DE)

Public health (T2)

healthcare safety (T)

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

TRILLET-LENOIR, Véronique (Renew, FR)

DE SUTTER, Petra (Greens/EFA, BE)

BRNJAC, Nikolina (HR)

Coronavirus outbreak (T)

Vaccines and therapeutics in the context of Covid-19: extracts from the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/6154616/I191204Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Nikolina BRNJAC, Croatian Presidency, Vaccines and treatments will be crucial for Europe, but they will be even more critical for our most vulnerable partners with fragile health systems such as Africa. Our ultimate and common goal, therefore, is to accelerate the development manufacture and delivery of vaccines and treatments for everyone everywhere at affordable price in the shortest possible time.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, No country in the European Union or worldwide can battle this pandemic alone. We need to take bold steps and we need to take them together. Containment measures have proved efficient so far and allow us to diminish the spread of the virus, but they will not eradicate it. For this, we need further action and we need further action on three areas. First, early diagnosis. Second, targeted treatments for the. And third a vaccine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the EC in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, Developing a vaccine is a complicated process that depends on close coordination, financial support and unity. Each of these considerations was evident during the pledging event of the Fourth of May that the European Union led at global level. First, we managed to attain our overall objective with an ambitious level of funding raised. We mobilised 7,4 billion euros, 8 billion dollars in pledges of which 5 billion came from Team Europe. Second, and equally important aspect of this pledging conference was that we send as a European Union every sounding message of unity and solidarity across the world. And we also proved that in today's turbulent times, the European Union remains a force of good for the planet.

SOUNDBITE (German), Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), The definitive solution will only be provided by a medicine or a vaccine. I've been in a lot of discussions with people, concerned stakeholders. I am quite optimistic that we'll be able to get medicines or vaccines quicker than under normal circumstances. The conference that the European Commission organised last Monday showed a very clear signal of cooperation and dialogue. But unfortunately, we also need a Plan B because the US was not participating in that conference at governmental level and we still want to press for dialogue. But we need to be prepared, for example, to be coordinated in Europe to provide false licences or to use other instruments. If Donald Trump is going to start threatening with tolls on cars coming from Europe, OurCommissionPresident came out and threatened with counter measures. And I think these measures these days also require just a strong action.

SOUNDBITE (French), V&#233;ronique TRILLET-LENOIR (RE, FR), Thank you very much, Madam President. Health is a common good. It is a public good. It is a world good. It is a European good. We collectively defend this v are our respect to full behaviour as we are currently doing right now in this hemicycle. And we would like to also salute the efforts that have been made by the European Commission to collect funds for treatment trials and vaccines. The European Parliament voted with a broad majority in its resolution of April 4, a European health response mechanism, and we collectively have requested there to be a strengthening of our health authorities, better cooperation between researchers as well as the restoring of our European sovereignty. 

We cannot let third leave three countries make to make us dependent on their research. Let us not allow the biggest tech giants, do not let the GAFA to use our people&rsquo;s medical data. Do not let the industrial health companies like SANOFI or other to bid with human life and confiscate the chances of finding a treatment to the benefit of the profit.. Let us work together to make sure that we negotiate the prices of any treatment. I agree with you, Commissioner. Let&rsquo;s make of the European Medicaments Agency the  pillar of the coordinated clinical studies.  We will avoid in this way the companies competing against each other. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Petra DE SUTTER (Greens/EFA, BE), The health of our citizens should not only depend on the goodwill - as we understood - of the pharmaceutical sector, we cannot rely on voluntary measures only. If needed EU member states should be able to make use of compulsory licencing. While we Greens have always been supporting this, I was happy to hear that. Also, colleagues of other political groups like Mr. Liese just now are a board for this idea. But to facilitate the use of compulsory licencing, it's also crucial that the EU urgently makes it legislation on data and market exclusivity more flexible. I invite us all to collaborate on this. Colleagues, let us use this health crisis to fundamentally improve our pharmaceutical system and safeguarding public health over profit maximization. If not now, then when?