EU urges US to export vaccines, rather than waiving patent
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke at a briefing of European Social Sumit in Porto, urging the United States to match EU COVID-19 vaccine exports, rather than waive patent rights for the shots.
Von der Leyen said that waiving the intellectual property rights doesn’t solve the issue of global vaccine supply and doesn’t add to the jab production in the short term. “For me now the priority is to deliver,” she said, adding that it is essential to share and distribute vaccines, as well as invest in manufacturing capabilities.
“Social Europe reminds me of the commitment to the vaccination campaign to save lives, the creation of the SURE tool [Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency] to make sure to save jobs, the flexibility of the rules for the economy. Now our main goal is the long-term recovery,” Von der Leyen stated.
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