Read on Twitter
1/6 Economists, industry, others warned the EU against restricting vaccine exports. The frustration of less vaccines supplied than expected is understandable, but this is not the answer.
@EFPIA @OECDtrade @Trade_EU @WTIunibe @ECIPE @vonderleyen @WHO https://www.ft.com/content/24867d39-4507-4c48-be27-c34b581220b0
@EFPIA @OECDtrade @Trade_EU @WTIunibe @ECIPE @vonderleyen @WHO https://www.ft.com/content/24867d39-4507-4c48-be27-c34b581220b0
2/6 The scheme may achieve the opposite of what it intends. The EU, free trade champion, may have opened the door to vaccine nationalism. Some possible effects:
1. EU vaccine supply chains are impacted, challenging vaccine production for all; legitimising the policy for others.
1. EU vaccine supply chains are impacted, challenging vaccine production for all; legitimising the policy for others.
3/6 2. The EU has opened itself up to retaliation, possibly affecting imports of essential inputs needed to produce vaccines for EU and the world.
3. The decision is a 180° reversal of the EUs communique of 8 April 2020 and ignores lessons learnt from the shortages last year.
3. The decision is a 180° reversal of the EUs communique of 8 April 2020 and ignores lessons learnt from the shortages last year.
4/6 4. It affects the EUs global leadership role as advocate for free trade (no matter whether the scheme is WTO compliant or not) including the admirable 'Trade in healthcare products' initiative.
5/6 5. The EU sends a negative signal regarding the EUs attractiveness for investment and manufacturing by globalised industries who want to produce in the EU for the world - contravening a flagship goal of the pharmaceutical strategy to increase manufacturing and resilience.
6/6 6. By not exempting vaccines for Northern Ireland, invoking Art.16 of the NIP, a hard vaccine border is created on the island of Ireland, making goods from EU to NI exports - something Brexit managed to avoid. This adds to the already huge challenge of medicines supply to NI.
