Debate: COVID- – Sustaining EU preparedness and response: looking ahead
Date: THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2022
Speaker: Janusz Wojciechowski
Language: EN

Ever since the pandemic first hit, the European Union and its Member States have worked tirelessly to counter its impact and protect our citizens. We’ve been learning lessons as well. Together, we revamped our health security framework, with stronger mandates for our health agencies; we created the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the new regulation on serious health threats to enhance our cycle of prevention, preparedness and response. We have also encouraged Member States to invest in stronger health systems. Now in their recovery and resilience plans. Member States have earmarked over EUR 40 billion in investments for better health care. Honourable Members, the pandemic has reminded us that we are stronger when we share unity of purpose. That unity led to an historic achievement for our Union: the European Union vaccine strategy. We created and deployed a strategy giving all Member States equitable access to vaccines at the scale needed, as a recent European Court of Auditors report recognised. Importantly, the strategy also enabled us to make a major contribution to the global response to COVID—19. We’ve now donated nearly 500 million doses, on top of the many hundreds of millions we’ve exported. Global supply now outstrips demand. We must work with manufacturers to better align supply and demand. At the same time, the COVID—19 pandemic is not yet over, so we will pursue our valiant efforts to support Member States. First, we should keep striving to improve on the vaccines we have. We are boosting Member States’ vaccination programmes. We’ve adopted vaccines and are supporting the research and development of vaccines that elicit broader, stronger, longer—lasting immune responses. I am glad that some Member States have started integrating COVID—19 vaccines into their programmes. We are inviting others to follow suit. We will work with Member States to strengthen capacity to face the coming months. We must keep closing vaccination gaps and protecting those at highest risk of severe disease with further boosters. We can put in place joint procurement arrangements for promising COVID vaccines that come on the market. Our ongoing COVID—19 strategy encompasses therapeutics and diagnostics as well. Member States also need resilient surveillance systems to monitor respiratory viruses, including COVID—19. The health agencies you’ve helped to strengthen have a key role, too. We will also keep supporting Member States with expertise through the Health Security Committee. Continued coordination on health preparedness and response will be key. Honourable members, beyond COVID, the Commission is focusing on various surveillance actions. Also, HERA’s prioritisation exercise has identified three high—impact cross-border health threat categories. Our EU4Health Programme is funding several actions for integrated surveillance. One explores the integration of human and animal health surveillance data; another seeks to improve coordinated surveillance in animals and the environment. Before I conclude, let me come back to vigilance, this time as regards the mis— and disinformation that threaten public health, European values and democratic systems. We work with the European Parliament, other EU institutions and Member States to promote reliable information and empower citizens while monitoring, analysing and responding to threats. The strengthened code of practice and proposal under the European democracy action plan are additional tools we have. Our quick reaction to the monkeypox emergency for tracing vaccines and therapeutics shows how we can emulate our achievements against COVID in tackling future health crisis. Our growing capacity to deal with emerging threats stems from the unity of purpose I mentioned at the start. Long may it continue to the benefit of all European citizens.