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.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
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.