How the export of anti-Covid vaccines works in Europe

For greater control, the new measure of the European Commission requires companies producing anti-Covid vaccines in the EU to send an authorization request for export beyond European borders to member countries

(photo: unsplash) They should have arrived in Australia. But the shipment of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine outside Europe has just been blocked by Italy. The pharmaceutical company, in fact, would have requested the authorization of the doses produced in the Anagni plant, which would then have been refused by the Italian government, with European support. A decision, the first of its kind in Europe, which essentially arises from the diatribe due to AstraZeneca's default on the number and deliveries initially promised and which is based on the new European rules regarding the export of anti-Covid vaccines to non-European countries .

But how does the export of anti-Covid vaccines work? As we told you a little over a month ago, in order to have greater control, the European Commission had expressed its intention to evaluate the activation of a system in which all vaccine manufacturers in the EU would have to send a timely notification every whenever there was the intention to export lots to non-European countries. And only a few days later, in an attempt to improve transparency on exports, the Commission had implemented this specific measure, namely that shipments of vaccines will temporarily (until the end ofa> March 2021) be subject to authorization by the of Member States.

A measure, specified by the Commission, is targeted, transparent and temporary, which applies only to exports from companies producing anti-Covid vaccines with which the EU has concluded advance purchase agreements, called Advance Purchase Agreements (Apa) and which excludes supplies of vaccines for humanitarian aid or for countries that are part of the international Covax program. "This targeted and time-limited system covers only those Covid-19 vaccines agreed by purchase agreements with the EU," comments the vice president for European economic policies Valdis Dombrovskis. "The aim is to provide greater clarity on the production of vaccines in the EU and on their exports: this transparency has been lacking and is fundamental at this time".

The European Commission, the document reads, has invested huge sums (the Apa, in fact) to accelerate the development and increase the production capacity of vaccines (a long process that normally lasts 10 years), with the aim to ensure faster delivery to European citizens. In exchange, in fact, the right to purchase a certain number of doses of the vaccine in a given period of time. For the European Union it was necessary, in light of a potential shortage of anti-Covid vaccines, to monitor how the funds disbursed under the APAs were used and to develop a transparency system. “The pandemic is having devastating effects in Europe and around the world,” comments Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. “Protecting the health of our citizens remains our top priority and we must take the necessary measures to ensure we achieve this. This transparency and authorization mechanism is temporary and of course we will continue to fulfill our commitments towards low and middle income countries ”.


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