The Commission is expected to review the recommendations for free movement within the EU, as well as for travel to the EU within a week, Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou announced today, speaking at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.
As COVID-19 cases increase across the EU, many Member States have begun to reinstate certain restrictive measures, often based on the European digital anti-COVID certificate for safe access to public spaces, the Commissioner said. “Member States and the Commission have worked together on the EU European COVID Certificate and delivered the largest interoperable digital COVID certification system in the world.
“We must avoid fragmentation, and that is why strong coordination is the key,” added S. Kyriakidou.
“Close co-operation and co-ordination are absolutely essential – at every step of this journey. While we have made every effort since the beginning of this pandemic, we cannot impose coordination in an area where competence lies solely with the Member States. “In the health sector, we do not only need two for tango, we need 27,” he said.
Besides, S. Kyriakidou stressed that “now we are facing a pandemic that is mainly due to the unvaccinated” and added that vaccination continues to be a key weapon in our quiver. “But at the same time, until fairly high vaccination rates are reached and the situation is brought under control, significant non-pharmacological interventions must remain in place where needed,” he added.
Finally, referring to the Emergency Health Preparedness and Response Authority (IRA), she stressed that she now manages all common supplies of therapeutic products and works with companies and countries participating in the Joint Procurement Agreement to ensure equal access to promising treatments. He noted, however, that we could not have a strong European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or a strong HERA without a strong EU Health Security Framework. , he said.
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