EU donates €400 million to global access cause for Coronavirus vaccine

The European Commission contributed €400 million in guarantees to support the Covid-19 Global Access (COVAX) facility yesterday. The organisation seeks to provide universal access to affordable coronavirus vaccination, treatment and testing.

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said: “Global collaboration is the only way to overcome a global pandemic. Under the Coronavirus Global Response and the Global Goal Unite campaign, we have seen the world come together as one. Almost €16 billion have been pledged so far and the most talented researchers and organisations are pooling their efforts to deliver vaccines, tests and treatments, which will be our universal, common good. Today, the Commission is announcing a €400 million contribution to COVAX for working together in purchasing future vaccines to the benefit of low and middle income countries. I’m confident this will bring us closer to our goal: beating this virus, together.”

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “It is only by working together globally, in solidarity, that we can defeat the coronavirus. We need an inclusive international approach and as we are showing today, Team Europe – European Commission and EU Member States – is committed to ensuring the success of the COVAX Facility and facilitating access to a vaccine in an equitable manner for all people across the world.”

Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International partnerships, said: “Only by securing equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine across the world will we end the pandemic and ensure a sustainable recovery; working with our partner countries is crucial so that we can build back better and healthier.”

As part of a EU joint engagement (Commission, Member States and European financial institutions, notably EIB) to mobilise resources for the Coronavirus Global Response, the Commission intends to mobilise up to €400 million in guarantees to support COVAX and its underlying objectives as part of a Team Europe effort. The detailed terms and conditions for the EU’s participation and contribution will be worked out in the coming days and weeks. Team Europe is ready to put its expertise and resources at work within COVAX to accelerate and scale-up development and manufacturing of a global supply of vaccines for citizens across the world, in poor and rich countries.

The EU’s participation in COVAX will be complementary to the ongoing EU negotiations with vaccine companies that aim at scaling up manufacturing capacity of vaccine producers, contributing to global efforts.