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Six EU states demand vaccine 'correction mechanism'

Against 'unfair' distribution within the bloc

16 March, 19:26
(ANSA-AFP) - VIENNA, MAR 16 - Six central and eastern European Union heads of government urged Brussels on Tuesday to find a "correction mechanism" to fix what they called the unfair distribution of coronavirus vaccines within the bloc. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, after hosting talks with five EU counterparts in Vienna, told reporters it was "important" to come up with a "technical" solution with Brussels institutions "so that for example, Bulgaria doesn't receive only a third as much (per capita) as Malta". Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the Czech Republic's Andrej Babis and Slovenia's Janez Jansa attended in person, with Croatia's Andrej Plenkovic and Latvia's Arturs Krisjanis Karins joining via videoconference.

The six countries complain that the current distribution of vaccines does not correspond to the principle agreed at between the EU 27 of distribution of doses according to population. A mechanism whereby countries could make use of doses not claimed by other states was sharply criticised, with Kurz branding the system a "bazaar" last week. "We were told that the EU member states should refrain from Chinese and Russian vaccines," said Borisov, whose country is in the grip of a spike in coronavirus infections -- as is the Czech Republic. (ANSA-AFP).

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