It is an honour to speak today at the 'health Security in the EU' Conference as Chair of the Special Committee on COVID-19. The mission of our Committee is straightforward: to prepare the EU for new crises by drawing lessons from the pandemic.
The Committee has been operating for 7 months and has heard Commissioners, health ministers, CEO's of pharmaceutical companies and international organisations.
5 lessons we have already learned:
In February, March & April 2020, the EC invested 200 times less in vaccine development than the US. This is because the US had a robust and autonomous BARDA, that could finance upfront from its general budget.
2/ In a pandemic we need fast access to money.
The Emergency Support Instrument saved Europe. It gave the EU the autonomy & leverage to negotiate with Pharma. But the money available for vaccine development was only a fraction of what lockdowns cost our economies DAILY.
We need to be able to launch financial bazookas in times of emergency, not just for pandemics, but also wars & climate emergencies. I propose adding an emergency clause to our budgetary rules, to allow the EU to move money from other budget lines to a central pot, like ESI.
3/ We need strong legal powers to intervene in the market during emergencies.
EC had no legal tools to enforce transparency on companies or ensure supplies went where most needed. The Single Market Emergency Instrument MUST also cover pharmaceutical products & medical devices.
4/ Transparency is crucial to establish trust, especially during crises.
In times of crisis, MEP's are the ones who have to explain the situation in the media & to the voters. That is why involvement of the EP in crisis management is absolutely necessary.
We also need transparency from the EC about the joint procurement of vaccines, including the 3rd contract between the EU & Pfizer/BioNTech. Our Committee therefore requests full access to all documents pertaining to the preliminary negotiations of the contracts.
5/ International cooperation is key.
Diplomatic platforms are crucial during global emergencies. That is why the EU should introduce emergencies chapters in trade & association agreements that provide guidelines for transparency & cooperation during crises.
Lastly, we did not listen enough to other countries. We acted like technocrats on the world stage with the TRIPS waiver. We cannot make that error again regarding the extension of the waiver and the Pandemic Treaty.
1/ We need strong institutions and we need to build them beforehand.
The launch of @EC_HERA was the right move. But it is understaffed, underfunded and lacks autonomy. We need an autonomous agency with legal and financial firepower.
🐦🔗: https://nitter.eu/kvanbrempt/status/1595013847315775492