Debate: Coordination of Member States’ measures in light of increasing cases of COVID- in the EU
Date: MONDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2021
Speaker: Stella Kyriakides
Language: EN

Now, first of all, I would like to assure you that we are listening. We are listening to all the concerns. We’re listening to all the insights. We’re listening to your suggestions and we are listening to the perspectives.  I am fully aware of the urgency and I am also fully aware of where we could be – as some of you have already said – if there is a lack of coordination, if we have fragmentation in the present state of this pandemic.  Now, let me address some crucial points. First of all, we need to look at what we have now, because I have heard some of the issues to do with questioning the vaccines, if they’re working, if they’re making a positive impact. Vaccinations are saving thousands of lives. There’s no doubt that they’re effective against severe disease – including hospitalisations and deaths, and this protection remains very high. There is some evidence of decreasing protection in older individuals and those with other diseases but vaccines are achieving what they were supposed to do. They’re protecting people from getting severely ill and from losing their lives. And according to the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control), the current increase in COVID-19 cases, even in countries that have successfully reached a high vaccination rate, is largely but not exclusively, driven by those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. And this is both in the EU as well as globally. So the message needs to be clear: let’s get vaccinated. Wearing masks and maintaining physical distances are important to protect each other. But vaccination is what is saving thousands of lives, and we need to continue to work towards this.  Vaccination is necessary, but indeed, as has been said, not enough. And I have heard a plea for us to do something to do with right therapeutics. So let me just share with you. We know that we need to work, and we have known this for several months, in parallel with therapeutics. People will continue to fall sick and need to be treated in hospitals and at home. And this is why, in parallel, we are ensuring the availability of COVID-19 therapeutics. We have an ambitious strategy. I have presented this to you before from this plenary, with a portfolio now of 10 most promising candidates for therapeutics. And on 12 November, not long ago, we authorised two new therapeutics: Ronapreve by Roche and Regeneron, and Regkirona by Celltrion. The European Medicines Agency is currently evaluating two medicines under rolling review – Evusheld from AstraZeneca and Molnupiravir from Merck, and authorisation applications were submitted for four medicines in addition to those. And last Friday, the European Medicines Agency gave advice to Member States that they can use and make Molnupiravir or Lagevrio – difficult words – available for emergency use.  We are also supporting Member States in having access to therapeutics. We have already concluded two joint procurement contracts, and negotiations are ongoing for other products. And we are organising, by the end of November, the next pan-European matchmaking event so that, once authorised, therapeutics are produced in sufficient quantity as soon as possible so that all European citizens can have access to them wherever they live within the European Union. So, we have never taken our eye off the issue of therapeutics and this through the EU therapeutic strategy is producing results.  Now, I listened very carefully to what Esther de Lange said and what Véronique Trillet-Lenoir said, and I fully agree with the urgency. And this is why the European Commission is working with the utmost urgency to strengthen the coordination of free movement, including the length of validity and the role of boosters in the vaccination campaign. Discussions are ongoing with Member States within the Health Security Committee and the ICPR (Integrated Political Crisis Response), and at every Council meeting – we have the next Council meeting on 7 December.  But I just wanted to tell you that this week we will be coming up with proposals, specific proposals on safer and free movement, including the certificate, and there will be, this week, a new risk assessment from the ECDC. So, we are determined to reverse the current wave. We’re working closely with Member States, as we are with you. We are very aware of the urgency needed and we are also aware that we need to give clear, coherent messages to citizens. This is the only way. Everybody has been under tremendous pressure for 22 months and we need to follow the science and come forward with clear and coherent messages so that they’re able to all work together. Ultimately, this is about all of us working together in order to be able to come to the end of this pandemic.  And finally – and I will never stop reiterating this – I count on you for a rapid political agreement on the proposals for the European Health Union because we need to be able to be ready for now and for the future. And we could only do this with a strong European Health Union for the benefit of the entire European Union.