The Intelligence from The Economist Export-control panel: the EU meets on vaccines
Mar 25, 2021
Join John Peete, Political and Brexit editor, and Olivia Ackland, Africa correspondent, as they dissect Europe's vaccine export tensions with the UK. Peete provides crucial insights into the evolving EU-UK relationship, shaped by Brexit. Ackland reports on the controversial Congolese election, where the long-standing president's victory raises questions amid public discontent and political strife. They explore the intimate link between leadership and national outcomes, revealing how inbreeding among monarchs has historically dented their effectiveness.
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EU Vaccine Export Controls
- The EU proposed legislation to control vaccine exports, aiming to improve its vaccine rollout.
- This is partly due to AstraZeneca's perceived failure to fulfill its EU contract, while supplying the UK.
Targets of EU Export Controls
- The EU's export controls target countries with better vaccination rates than the EU or those not reciprocating exports.
- This is seemingly aimed at the UK, which has received significant vaccine exports from the EU.
Support and Concerns for Export Controls
- The EU's export control proposal has broad support due to concerns over the bloc's slow vaccine rollout.
- However, some countries like Sweden, Finland, and Belgium worry about negative impacts on the pharmaceutical industry.