Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and the leaders of four other European countries call on the European Union to build up stocks of medicines and medical equipment and to encourage the joint development of vaccines and treatments to better resist the next health crises.
In a joint letter to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, the French President, the German Chancellor and the Danish, Spanish, Belgian and Polish heads of government invite us to reflect on a global strategy, potentially more effective than the specific response of a member state.
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They propose that the EU has a permanent stock of three months of essential medicines, materials and equipment and that the member states collaborate to produce critical products in times of crisis. The letter also stresses the need to develop European research and development capacities on vaccines, in particular by funding large clinical trials.