By Charlotte Webster-
The UK and the European Union have are putting their differences aside, to improve their relationship, after weeks of tensions over Covid vaccine supplies.
In a joint statement, they UK and The UK SAID they wanted to “create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all”.
The European Commission earlier proposed tougher export controls on vaccines, amid tensions over supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that “blockades” were not “sensible”.
The joint UK-EU statement said that “openness and global co-operation” would be key to tackling the pandemic.
“We are all facing the same pandemic and the third wave makes co-operation between the EU and UK even more important,” it said. “We will continue our discussions.”
Plans
There was controversy on Wednesday when the Commission announced plans for all vaccine shipments to be assessed on the destination country’s rate of vaccinations and exports. The proposals, which will be put before EU leaders on Thursday, are seen as focused on the UK and US in particular.
Controls
EU insiders say they had hoped never to use the controls. They say they want them as a means of exerting pressure on vaccine companies and on countries with vaccine production sites that are not exporting to the EU.
With a third wave of the pandemic hitting much of mainland Europe, EU leaders are coming under increasing pressure to show voters they are taking action to ramp up both the supply of jabs and their vaccine rollout, on both of which they are trailing behind the UK.
Mr Johnson told MPs he did not believe “that blockades of either vaccines or of medicines, of ingredients for vaccines” would be “sensible”. Companies might draw conclusions about future investments “in countries where arbitrary blockades are imposed”, he added.