Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president.
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LONDON – The European Union has said it is ready to discuss surrendering intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines after the US announced it would support the initiative.
The proposed patent waiver, which aims to boost global production of Covid-19 vaccines, has proven controversial for European lawmakers, with some supporting the move while others strongly oppose it. Proponents of the idea say it is crucial to increase vaccination rates in low-income countries. So far, the European Commission, the EU executive, has expressed doubts about the renunciation of intellectual property rights.
On Thursday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said her team was open to “discuss any proposals that would address the crisis in an effective and pragmatic way”.
“Therefore, we are ready to discuss how the US proposal to remove intellectual property protection for Covid-19 vaccines could help achieve this goal,” she said during a speech.
It comes after the White House announced on Wednesday that it was in favor of the abolition of intellectual property rights, citing the “exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The move caused stocks of large pharmaceutical companies that developed Covid-19 shots to decline.
However, the announcement received praise from the World Health Organization. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the US decision was a “monumental moment in the fight against Covid-19”.
The GAVI Vaccine Alliance also welcomed President Joe Biden’s stance, recognizing “the importance of the government’s commitment to increasing raw material production.”
Milestone proposal
The landmark proposal to renounce intellectual property rights was jointly presented to the World Trade Organization by India and South Africa in October. However, a handful of countries have blocked the proposal. This includes the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Norway, Canada, Australia, Brazil, the EU and – so far – the US.
“In the short term, however, we are calling on all vaccine-producing countries to allow exports and to avoid measures that disrupt the supply chain,” said von der Leyen on Thursday.
The EU has hailed itself as a top exporter of Covid-19 vaccines and has criticized countries like the UK for failing to take similar measures.
A medical worker prepares a syringe of AstraZeneca vaccine in a local sports hall that has been converted into a vaccination center in Ventspils, Latvia.
GINTS IVUSKANS | AFP | Getty Images
“While others keep their vaccine production to themselves, Europe is the world’s largest exporter of vaccines. To date, more than 200 million vaccine doses made in Europe have been shipped to the rest of the world,” said von der Leyen.
The EU, a group of 27 nations, got off to a slow start with vaccine adoption. Vaccinations have steadily increased, however, and the block expects 70% of adults to be vaccinated by July.
“The US has a similar goal. This shows how well our vaccination campaigns have aligned,” added von der Leyen.
The latest data shows Israel, the UK, the US and Chile lead the way in the number of Covid-19 shots given to date. However, the figures also show that vaccination rates in the EU are well above the world average, which was not the case a few weeks ago.
