EU Tightened Vaccine Export Rules

Overseas shipments could be suspended if vaccine producing countries such as the UK and the US ban exports to the EU. The European Union has decided on Wednesday, March 24, to tighten export rules for the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the changes will not affect supplies within the framework of the international COVAX mechanism, Bloomberg reported citing an EU representative. It is noted that the new rules will make it easier to freeze exports to those countries whose authorities have not fulfilled their obligations on vaccines supply. The new rules aim to make the trade in vaccines "reciprocal and proportional". In particular, overseas shipments could be suspended if vaccine producing countries such as the UK and the US ban exports to the EU. Earlier, the Deputy Head of the European Commission Maros Shefchovic said that Europe does not intend to completely restrict the export of coronavirus vaccines, the production of which is organized in the territory of the Commonwealth. The current EU export regime ensures that shipments to around 90 countries are not interrupted so that companies such as Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc. which have fulfilled their commitments in Europe are protected. Prior to this, Europe announced its intention to resort to legal action against AstraZeneca. In total, since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 124.3 million cases have been registered, over 100.3 million people have recovered, and more than 2.7 million patients have died. Earlier it was reported the EU intends blocking the AstraZeneca vaccine’s export to Britain. Three out of four COVID vaccinations in the world are in ten countries