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Commissioner von der Leyen at the video press conference: "Now is not the time to let up"
Photo: VIRGINIA MAYO / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Ursula von der Leyen is rarely exhausted.
On Wednesday, however, the EU Commission President looked into the cameras with tired eyes, and that fit with her message.
There is a "corona fatigue", said von der Leyen, "an increasing tiredness with regard to the precautionary measures against corona".
In the next two to three weeks, however, the number of infections is expected to continue to rise, "rapidly".
"We're deep in the second wave."
In order to keep it as small as possible, von der Leyen has now announced a whole bunch of measures that the EU heads of state and government will discuss at a video summit on Thursday evening.
Video: That said the EU Commission President
The message is clear: the EU wants to show that it is acting decisively in the crisis.
At the same time, however, it becomes clear that the important decisions are mostly made in the individual capitals - and that the commission often has little more than to coordinate and appeal.
This is
the case
with
vaccination
, perhaps the most important issue.
In the best scenario, vaccinations could start on a large scale in April, said von der Leyen.
Initially, 20 to 50 million doses per month are possible and a total of 1.2 billion by the end of 2021. Therefore, the countries should prepare national vaccination plans immediately.
In addition, the member countries should use
information campaigns
to educate
their citizens
about the virus and vaccination.
According to current surveys, around a quarter of all EU citizens would currently reject a vaccine, warned von der Leyens Corona advisor Peter Piot.
In terms of a
better flow of information
, von der Leyen can only ask the member states to provide as much data as possible about the infection process, tests and contact tracing to the Commission and the EU health authority ECDC so that a more effective exchange can take place.
It looks similar with the
corona tests
.
The Commission asks the countries to submit national test strategies by mid-November.
However, this is not mandatory.
After all, the Brussels authority can take action here itself: It wants to buy antigen tests for 100 million euros and distribute them to the states.
The Commission has the greatest freedom of choice in the EU internal market - and it wants to use it.
The import of
medical equipment will be
exempt from customs duties and VAT for a further six months.
In addition, the commission proposes that hospitals and doctors do not have to pay VAT on vaccines and test kits in the fight against Corona.
When it
comes to contact tracking
, on the other hand, there is sometimes chaos, for example with the Corona warning apps.
There are currently 19 different national apps.
It is true that the Commission has provided a platform with which the various programs can exchange data.
Currently, however, this is only possible with the apps from Germany, Italy and Ireland.
Around a dozen countries should follow by the end of November, others could follow suit later.
But France of all people uses an app that is technically incompatible with the others.
There is also
another threat of considerable confusion in terms
of
freedom of travel
.
Quarantine and testing regulations differ from state to state, and sometimes even from region to region.
The Commission therefore wants to develop a common concept together with the EU countries.
An EU-wide uniform form for tracking travelers is also to be created by December.
Video summit should bring unity
Whether and to what extent the Commission is getting through with these proposals could already be seen on Thursday evening.
EU Council President Charles Michel has called the heads of state and government together for a video summit to discuss the corona situation.
According to EU diplomats, there should be four points:
the progress in the development of corona rapid tests and their common use,
mutual recognition of test results to facilitate cross-border traffic,
a common strategy to develop and distribute vaccines,
the extent of mutual aid.
There is one thing you absolutely want to avoid: renewed chaos at the borders and national egoisms in the procurement of medical goods.
The EU put both of these to the test during the first Corona wave in spring.
"We mustn't make the same mistakes again," Michel warned on Tuesday.
Something like the "race for masks" in spring should never be repeated.
Whether the EU can still fight the virus successfully depends - and possibly above all - on the Europeans themselves, as von der Leyen emphasized.
"I understand that people are tired of this virus," said the Commission chief.
"But now is not the time to let up."
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