Switzerland asks EU for exception to vaccine export rules
Coveted stuff: a jab of Covid-19 vaccine, in this case from Pfizer/BioNTech.
Keystone / Klaus-dietmar Gabbert
As of this week, Switzerland can no longer import Covid vaccines from the European Union (EU) without a special license. Officials in Bern have asked to be granted an exception to the stricter conditions.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/SonntagsBlick/dos
According to the SonntagsBlick newspaper, at the end of March the EU removed Switzerland – along with 16 other countries – from a list of states not subject to the stricter export controls.
The newspaper says the decision in Brussels was largely down to tensions about vaccine supplies that have been heightened by the fact that AstraZeneca has been slow in getting supplies to Europe, while it has been “generous” in delivering to the UK.
The export rules, while not foreseeing full-on bans, state that controls can be put in place for various reasons: for example, if the country in question imports vaccines but doesn’t export or reciprocate; or if the country has a much higher vaccination rate than the EU.
More
More
Switzerland mulls future European coordination on medical supplies
This content was published on
“The pandemic has shown us that we are very dependent, maybe too much so, on other markets,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin has said.
For Switzerland, the SonntagsBlick writes, this could mean a difficult situation whereby the more quickly the country administers jabs, the more difficult it might be to obtain new supplies via Europe.
In response to the decision, Livia Leu, the Swiss diplomat overseeing relations with Brussels, discussed the issue with the EU’s ambassador in Bern, Petros Mavromichalis.
In a discussion confirmed on Sunday by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland requested that it once again be placed on the list of countries not subject to the export license rules. SECO based its request on the highly integrated and co-dependent nature of the Swiss and European medical supply and distribution chains, it said.
Although the outcome of the request is not yet clear, SECO did confirm to the Keystone-SDA news agency that “the measures [of the EU] did not specifically target Switzerland”.
More
More
EU ambassador: framework deal will not be reopened
This content was published on
The EU has no intention of re-opening those parts of the treaty seen as controversial by the Swiss, the bloc’s ambassador in Bern has said.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Legal action filed against Swiss purchase of Israeli drones
This content was published on
Not only delays and setbacks. To the already troubled issue of the Israeli ADS15 drones, involving the company Elbit and armasuisse, there is now also a legal action, which aims to put an end to the delivery of the six reconnaissance drones.
Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures
This content was published on
The scrub encroachment on Swiss alpine pastures leads to the loss of grassland and damages the typical landscape. It is also responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Despite higher direct payments, the bushes continue to spread.
Head of Swiss financial regulator’s Banks division quits
This content was published on
Thomas Hirschi, head of the Banks division of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA will leave at the end of August.
Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey
This content was published on
In a survey, the population of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland expressed general satisfaction with their lives. Respondents were less happy with politics and their personal finances, according to the online comparison service Moneyland.
WHO ‘extremely concerned’ about growing vaccination scepticism
This content was published on
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination scepticism and a collapse in funding for vaccination campaigns pose a major threat to the health of the world's population.
High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
This content was published on
The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.
Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
This content was published on
Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.
Swiss martyr beatified in Barcelona by Catholic Church
This content was published on
François-Benjamin May (1870-1909), a member of the Marist Brothers congregation, has been recognised as a 'blessed' by the Catholic Church.
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.