Germany acting outside the EU’s vaccine strategy

22.1.2021

Priority question for written answer  P-000388/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Luke Ming Flanagan (The Left)

Since March 2020, the Commission has promoted the idea of Member States working closely together in the spirit of solidarity to get through the pandemic.

• 1.Does the Commission believe that Germany’s purchase of extra vaccines outside of the EU’s agreements is consistent with this spirit of solidarity, given the fact that ‘ensuring equitable and affordable access for all in the EU to an affordable vaccine as early as possible’[1] is listed as an objective in the Commission’s EU vaccine strategy?
• 2.Does the Commission believe that Germany has violated the agreement under Article 7 (Obligation not to negotiate separately) of the annex to its vaccine strategy[2]?
• 3.Does it plan on investigating whether the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union was used to further the country’s own interests/abuse its power in obtaining these extra vaccines, as the deal was, according to reports, agreed in September 2020[3], and are other Member States now allowed to procure vaccines outside the EU agreements with no penalty?

• [1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/public-health/coronavirus-vaccines-strategy_en#eu-vaccines-strategy
• [2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/annex_to_the_commission_decision_on_approving_the_agreement_with_member_states_on_procuring_covid-19_vaccines_on_behalf_of_the_member_states_and_related_procedures_.pdf
• [3] https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/commission-takes-evasive-action-over-germanys-vaccine-side-deal/