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When the 27 EU heads of state and government meet this afternoon for a video summit, it is the day after the European Commission has proposed stricter rules for the export of vaccines from the EU. Now a country, in consultation with the Commission, will be able to temporarily stop deliveries to countries that have a low spread of infection and have made great progress in their vaccination.
Sweden’s vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström told DN on Wednesday that in the short term it could mean that Sweden receives more doses of the vaccine. But the prime minister is concerned.
Isn’t it good that Sweden gets more doses?
– We want more vaccines for Sweden, there is no doubt about that. And we feel the same frustration as others because companies have not been able to meet their commitments. But I am afraid of climbing. It can slow down the flow of vaccine production. So we get fewer vaccinations when we need more. Everybody loses, says Stefan Löfven.
In the long term, vaccine disputes can spread throughout world trade and have serious consequences, he emphasizes.
– If it succeeds, it will affect employment and growth. Also here in Sweden.
He advocates Instead of bringing the world together, mention the EU, the US, India and the UK, and make sure that as much as possible is produced for all.
– More can be done to pressure companies and other actors to secure deliveries. In the short term, it may also be justified with restrictions when companies export to other countries instead of maintaining the agreement with the EU, says Stefan Löfven.
This applies to Astra Zeneca, which has so far only delivered a fraction of what is stated in the agreement with the EU.
We don’t like it at all when people come in and start putting bats in the wheel in global supply chains.
However, Sweden will find it very difficult to stop the proposal. Export restrictions are accounted for as trade policy, which is the purview of the European Commission. To avoid tightening the rules, a so-called qualified majority of Member States must agree next week. Such tones are not heard in other countries.
– We do not like at all when people come in and start putting bats in the wheel of global supply chains, but trade policy is a matter for the Commission. We hope this baton will not be used, says an EU diplomat.
The summit receives a guest Thursday night when US President Joe Biden appears on video screens.
– Joe Biden’s administration wants to work closely with Europe and strengthen the transatlantic link. In the new geopolitical situation, that link is necessary. It is good that you participate, says Stefan Löfven.
Will there be greater coordination between the EU and the US regarding the relationship with China?
– Yes I think so. But cooperation between the EU and the US should not be created in conflict with others. We, that is, Sweden, emphasize the importance of common security. When we build relationships, we must also have a hand extended to the rest of the world.
Cooperation between the EU and the US must not be created in conflict with other
The summit, which ends on Friday, will also discuss the EU’s relationship with Turkey. It has improved in recent months since Turkey, among other things, stopped looking for gas and oil in the eastern Mediterranean.
Stefan Löfven notes, however, that Turkey’s recent decision to abandon the Istanbul Convention, which aims to combat violence against women and violence in close relationships, is a setback.
– Events in the country concern human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It is deeply regrettable that Turkey has abandoned the Istanbul Convention and has chosen measures to dissolve the opposition party HDP. That development must be reversed if Turkey seriously wants to improve relations with the EU, says Löfven.
Read more: The EU wants it to be easier to stop exports of vaccines
Read more: Women continue to protest in Turkey
