Filenews 27 April 2022
The Commission is today proposing a series of actions to manage the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the next one.
Based on cooperation, the EU has so far saved hundreds of thousands of lives thanks to covid-19 vaccines, kept its single market running, minimised travel restrictions and mobilised the capacity to produce critical products when supply chains were disrupted. In the new phase of the pandemic, coordination will once again be required, where it is necessary to maintain preparedness and the ability to respond.
The Commission is therefore urging Member States to take measures before the autumn to ensure vigilance and continued coordination of preparedness and response in the health sector.
Staying alert during the transition from the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic
The current lower levels of COVID-19 infections give Member States the opportunity to strengthen their surveillance, health systems and overall preparedness against pandemics.
In particular, the Commission invites Member States to:
• intensify the administration of vaccines and booster doses, taking into account the simultaneous circulation of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza;
• set up comprehensive surveillance systems that are no longer based on identifying and reporting all COVID-19 cases, but on obtaining reliable and representative estimates;
• continue targeted testing and sequencing on sufficient samples to accurately assess the circulation of variants and identify new variants;
• invest in the recovery of health systems and assess the wider impact of the pandemic on health, including on mental health and delays in treatments and care;
• apply coordinated rules at EU level to ensure free and safe travel, both within the EU and with international partners;
• support the development of the next generation of vaccines and pharmacotherapeutic agents;
• step up cooperation to combat misinformation and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines;
• continue to aim for global solidarity and improved global governance.
In addition, the Commission is announcing actions to ensure resilient supply chains throughout the pandemic, both for medical countermeasures and for critical products in all industrial ecosystems. It also publishes today a call for tenders, as part of the EU FAB initiative, to commit capacities to manufacture mRNA vaccines, vaccines based on viral proteins and vaccines based on viral vectors. This will commit the newly created production capacity for use in future health emergencies. The call for tenders is addressed to vaccine producers with facilities in the EU/EEA, who can send their application form until 3 June 2022 at 16.00 CET.
Medium- and long-term planning will include further strengthening pandemic preparedness, as well as strengthening coordination of the response both between Member States and globally, implementing the proposals for the European Health Union, addressing the wider health impact of the pandemic, including 'long-term COVID' and the burden on mental health; as well as accelerating digitalisation in the health sector.
Members of the College of Commissioners made the following statements:
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "We are entering a new phase of the pandemic as we move from the state of emergency to more sustainable management of COVID-19. However, we must remain vigilant. The number of infections is still high in the EU and many people are still dying from COVID-19 around the world. In addition, new variants may appear and quickly spread. However, we know how to proceed. We need to further step up vaccination and the administration of booster doses, as well as targeted testing – and we need to continue to closely coordinate our responses in the EU."
Vice-President responsible for promoting our European way of life, Mr Margaritis Schinas, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic is not over and the virus is here to stay. Although the health situation is improving, we must prepare for various scenarios and do so in a coordinated manner. The question is not whether new variations will appear, but when. Improvisation and fragmentation are not an option. Vigilance and preparedness remain as important as ever and we must continue our work without interruption. For these reasons, we are taking action at national and EU level based on successful EU-wide coordination of preparedness and response in the health sector. We are changing our role, moving from firefighting to building a Health Union that protects public health while keeping society and the economy open and resilient."
Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of readily available vaccine production capacity in times of crisis. After an unprecedented intensification of efforts, the EU has managed to achieve a production capacity of 3-4 billion vaccines per year. The EU FAB will allow us to maintain some of this capacity and keep it running for future health crises. This is the cornerstone of the industrial dimension of our preparedness for health emergencies."
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said: "Vaccination, a strong coordinated EU approach and natural immunity provide a very welcome opportunity to move from the emergency to a more sustainable management of COVID-19. The number of infections is still high in the EU, but the pressure on health has diminished and our societies and economies have reopened. Our citizens can finally enjoy this period with far fewer restrictions in everyday life, after two and a half unusual and difficult years. However, it is vital that Member States maintain a high level of vigilance and preparedness for new outbreaks and variants – the pandemic is not yet over. We need to do more for vaccination globally, now that the supply of vaccines is no longer a challenge. How COVID-19 will continue to affect our lives in the coming years will largely depend on the decisions we make today both in the EU and globally."
History
Although there are variations in the number of cases across Europe, increases in cases do not lead to serious illnesses or deaths with the same frequency as in the past thanks to large-scale vaccination. The now dominant Omikron variant is less serious than previous variants. However, there are still millions of infections worldwide. Many people are subject to bans on activities in certain parts of the world. Many are still suffering or dying from COVID-19. Declining immunity against infection and possible winter seasonality also increase the risk of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — the virus that causes COVID-19.
While Member States are implementing new approaches to managing the current pandemic, fragmented preparedness and response strategies may undermine the benefits of coordinating health security measures at EU level so far.
The Communication therefore proposes an approach to managing this new phase of the pandemic, based on successful EU-wide coordination of preparedness and response in the health sector.
The 'EU FAB' initiative was announced in February 2021 to set up continuously preparedness vaccine production facilities and to ensure the maintenance of existing EU/EEA production capacities for the manufacture of mRNA vaccines, vaccines based on viral proteins and vaccines based on viral vectors, with a view to addressing future public health emergencies. A call for tenders for the creation of the EU FAB will be published in the TED database, a supplement to the Official Journal.
