Swiss announce ‘breakthrough’ in deal for face masks and protective gear from EU
Switzerland said it is waiting for face masks and protective gear from the European Union, which banned exports earlier this month after landing at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic and struggling to cope with shortages.
Swiss media reported the news after Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin tweeted he had achieved a ‘breakthrough’.
‘After several contacts with EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, Brussels has instructed European Union member states to stop blocking exports of protective equipment to Switzerland and the other countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA),’ reported swissinfo.ch, the international service of Switzerland’s public broadcaster.
Last month the European Commission placed restrictions on personal protective gear as Member States went into lockdown, warning it was short of protective gear for medical staff and the public.
But on Tuesday, the Commission announced that a joint procurement effort for protective equipment, launched last month, had been successful. A Commission statement said that unidentified suppliers were offering to meet or exceed volumes of all requisitioned equipment, including masks, gloves, goggles, face-shields, surgical masks and overalls. The equipment should be available in about two weeks after Member States sign the contracts with bidders, ‘which they should do very rapidly,’ the Commission said.
Switzerland, with 9,000 coronavirus cases and close to 100 deaths, is bracing for a surge in infections, with some hospitals warning they only have a week’s supply of protective gear for medical staff.
Germany, Switzerland’s larger neighbour, sparked a diplomatic uproar earlier this month when it stopped a truckload of 240,000 face masks from crossing into Switzerland, after unilaterally banning all exports of protective gear out of Germany.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_523
