EU extends Covid vaccine control mechanism to end of September

In a regulation passed 29 June, the European Union extended the applicability of temporary measures to control the export of Covid vaccines, from 29 June to 30 September.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1071 explains:

‘On 30 January 2021, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/111 making the exportation of COVID-19 vaccines as well as active substances, including master and working cell banks, used to manufacture these vaccines, subject to the production of an export authorisation, pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2015/479, for a period of six weeks. Hereafter, on 12 March 2021, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442 making the exportation of the same products subject to an export authorisation until 30 June 2021, pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2015/479.’

It says that while vaccine production has since ‘stepped up’, resulting in an increase of deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine doses, and an acceleration of the vaccination campaign, it ‘is however still on-going and uncertainties remain, in particular with the emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus. There is therefore a continuing need for transparency of export deliveries and Union supplies.

‘The risk that exports would threaten either the execution of the Advance Purchase Agreements between the Union and the vaccine manufacturers or the security of Union supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and their active substances also still persists.’

Accordingly, the Regulation shall remain in place until 30 September.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32021R1071&qid=1625735650662&from=de