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EU COVID-19 response criticized by legislators

Thursday, 17 December 2020 8:59 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 17 December 2020 10:04 PM ]

Jerome Hughes

Press TV, Brussels

As thousands of people continue to die each and every day in the EU from COVID-19, a great deal of focus is on the issue of vaccines. The subject has just been debated by EU lawmakers.

We are told that the European Medicines Agency, which authorises vaccines on behalf of the 27-nation EU, will give the go ahead next week for use of the Pfizer BioNTech jab.

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has tweeted that vaccination will start across the EU on December 27th, 28th and 29th. However, there is concern that nations are not prepared. Apparently, many EU countries have not yet submitted their vaccination plans to the commission.

EU authorities insist the process cannot be rushed. We have been speaking to citizens.

Lawmakers are expressing outrage that the European Commission is resisting calls to share the formula of proven vaccines with developing nations on the basis that it would stifle investment into vaccine research.

On the economic front, all sides agree that deploying a successful vaccine strategy is crucial to preventing the EU from being rendered completely bankrupt.

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