The Commission’s failure to consult the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control before buying COVID vaccines
10.3.2023
Question for written answer E-000836/2023
to the Commission
Rule 138
Virginie Joron (ID)
Since 2005, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has been the body responsible for preparedness and response to emerging infectious diseases or pandemics in Europe. According to the ECDC, 1.4 billion doses of COVID ‘vaccines’ have been made available to Member States but fewer than 1 billion doses have been injected in Europe[1].
With its order of 4.6 billion doses, confirmed by the European Court of Auditors, the Commission overestimated requirements by around 4 billion doses.
ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said at her hearing in the European Parliament on 8 March 2023: ‘Why do we have so many doses left? We were not involved in the acquisition or in the decision to acquire a certain number of doses. We were not involved in the contracts’.
- 1.Can the Commission confirm that it did not consult the ECDC before deciding on the treatment or the number of vaccine doses to acquire, or proposing to do so in place of the Member States?
- 2.Can it state the stock level of doses delivered that have not yet expired or been destroyed?
- 3.How much would still need to be paid if the Commission does not cancel the delivery of 3.2 billion doses of vaccines?
Submitted: 10.3.2023
- [1] https://vaccinetracker.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/vaccine-tracker.html#uptake-tab – 1.435 billion COVID vaccine doses delivered and 0.976 billion injected by 8 March 2023.