European Union tightens Covid-19 vaccine export controls

The bloc will demand that countries that received doses also allow shots to be sent back, based on the nation’s vaccination rate and pandemic situation

The proposal comes as the EU struggles to turn around its sluggish inoculation campaign, and amid a dispute with Britain over vaccine supplies

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A medical worker injects a woman with a dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination hub in Rome. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:05pm, 24 Mar 2021Updated: 9:55pm, 24 Mar 2021

The European Union has extended its power to stop Covid-19 vaccine exports to the rest of the world, setting the stage for an escalation of tensions with allies and manufacturers as it faces a resurgence of cases.

In strengthening its existing export rules, the bloc will demand that countries that received doses from the EU also allow shots to be sent back. It will also consider a nation’s vaccination rate and pandemic situation when deciding whether to green light shipments. The mechanism will not be automatic, but will be used on a case-by-case basis.

The proposal comes as the bloc struggles to turn around its sluggish inoculation campaign and as governments from Berlin to Paris battle a rise in infections more than a year since they started. The situation has also been fuelled by a dispute over vaccine supplies with Britain, a former member.

“We have to ensure timely and sufficient vaccine deliveries to EU citizens,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “The EU is the only major Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development producer that continues to export vaccines at large scale to dozens of countries, but open roads should run in both directions.”

‘Open roads should run in both directions’, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said of Covid-19 vaccine supplies. Photo: Reuters

The move coincides with the coronavirus situation in Europe getting bleaker as governments face pressure over why their citizens aren’t being vaccinated as quickly as those elsewhere and the EU finds itself in disputes with drug makers and other countries faring better.