Ursula von der Leyen calls for more openness on vaccine exports

Other countries need to reciprocate deliveries from bloc, says European Commission president

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to block vaccine exports to the UK. (EPA)

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has urged countries to be more open about vaccine exports amid a row with the UK and the US over the delivery of coronavirus doses.

Speaking to the Italian paper la Repubblica, Ms von der Leyen said other countries needed to reciprocate the EU’s actions.

“I ask for greater openness as Europe is among the regions in the world that exports the most, but reciprocity is needed,” she said.

The EU is currently in talks with the UK about the issue and the bloc will meet on Thursday to discuss a reciprocity mechanism, Ms von der Leyen added.

Her latest comments were published a few days after she raised tensions by threatening to stem the supply of vaccines from the EU to the UK.

Ms von der Leyen also said that “all options are on the table” for ensuring the bloc’s vaccine supply, including the possibility of waiving intellectual property rights. “This is about making sure that Europe gets its fair share,” she explained.

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Ten million doses have been sent from the bloc to the UK in the past six weeks but none have come the other way, according to the European Commission president.

The British government responded to the EU’s threat by expressing its disapproval of the bloc’s “brinkmanship”, with foreign secretary Dominic Raab saying it was something he expected from less democratic countries.

Ms von der Leyen’s words also did not meet with everyone’s approval in Brussels. Bernd Lange, a German MEP, said an export ban would be “a sign of helplessness rather than strength”.

The EU’s vaccination rollout has been sluggish, hampered by a lack of vaccine supply but also by some European countries’ temporary decision to suspend AstraZeneca jabs over unsubstantiated fears they are linked with blood clots.

Despite these problems, Ms von der Leyen told la Repubblica that she was “extremely confident” that the EU would hit its target of immunising 70 per cent of adults by the end of the summer.

Additional reporting from Reuters