European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis speaks during an online news conference on Friday
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Switzerland is among the countries exempt from the European Union’s vaccine export controls, the European Commission said on Friday. The plan has been drawn up to ensure that the EU has enough supplies of Covid-19 vaccine.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Reuters/Keystone-SDA/SWI swissinfo.ch/ilj
EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told a news conference that the export monitoring and controls were “time limited”, initially lasting until the end of March, and applied to Covid-19 vaccines the EU had bought in advance.
The bloc could block the export of a vaccine if it determined that this could undermine the EU’s own supplies. The European Commission has however stressed that this is not an export ban.
Donations to COVAX, designed for poorer countries, will be exempted, as will a large number of EU neighbours, including Norway, Switzerland and countries of the western Balkans and North Africa. But Britain will not be exempted.
In a response to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) declined to comment on the decision, saying that it was too early to make a statement
Drugmakers will have to request export authorisation in the EU country where the vaccine is manufactured. That country would consult with the Commission to take a decision in two working days.
The EU has publicly rebuked Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca for failing to deliver vaccine shots as promised. EU countries have also received fewer deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines than expected. Switzerland is affected by the temporary Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine shortage.
On Friday evening, the Swiss authorities said around 500,000 vaccine doses had been delivered to Switzerland so far.
More
More
Novartis agrees to help Pfizer-BioNTech produce Covid-19 vaccine
This content was published on
Swiss pharma giant Novartis says it has signed an initial agreement to provide manufacturing capacity for Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine.
Switzerland named hotspot for fox tapeworm disease
This content was published on
Diseases caused by the fox tapeworm are on the rise in Europe. Alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) caused by the parasite is rare, but the number of cases is increasing.
This content was published on
The earth shook near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland on Monday afternoon with a magnitude of around 4.2 on the Richter scale.
Public transport in Geneva faces calls for overhaul
This content was published on
Public transport services in Greater Geneva must better meet needs. The associations Transports et environnement (ATE) and Rail Dauphiné Savoie Léman (ARDSL) have drawn up a review of the situation, calling in particular for the Leman Express timetable to be extended.
Swiss politician who shot at baby Jesus risks fine
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has brought charges against Zurich city parliamentarian Sanija Ameti for disturbing religious freedom. Ameti had shot at a picture of Jesus and Mary with an air pistol.
This content was published on
The French-Swiss artist Saype has created a new giant painting on the summit of the Grand Chamossaire above Villars-sur-Ollon VD. The 2500 square metre work depicts a boy with a rucksack on his shoulders.
This content was published on
According to "Schweizer Illustrierte", Swiss actor Carlos Leal is returning to Switzerland - after 15 years in Los Angeles. "It's become loud there, megalomaniacal and arrogant," he said in the online edition of the magazine.
This content was published on
A coin collector has filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland against Swissmint, the federal mint, for fraud in connection with the sale of the limited-edition 100-franc gold Vreneli.
Museum to open devoted to Swiss ski legend Vreni Schneider
This content was published on
Vreni Schneider is to have a museum in the centre of her home village of Elm. The legendary Swiss ski racer has numerous memorabilia at home, which she is now releasing and exhibiting.
This content was published on
A shooting range in Wittenbach, northeastern Switzerland, was broken into on Sunday night. The unknown perpetrators stole several antique weapons.
Euro 2025: most of crowd at Germany-France match were women
This content was published on
For the first time, the majority of the crowd at a football match in Basel's St. Jakob-Park – Saturday's European Championship quarterfinal – was female.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Why Swiss participation in WHO’s Covid-19 vaccine plan matters
This content was published on
As the second coronavirus wave makes finding vaccines even more urgent, we look at Swiss participation in the WHO's vaccine pool.
This content was published on
Switzerland will be affected by the temporary delay to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Europe, the Swiss health authorities have confirmed.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.