European Commission and Poland accelerate supply of COVID-19 vaccines  to EaP countries, including Armenia

ArmInfo.The European Commission has today signed an agreement worth EUR 35million with the BGK, Polish Development Bank, to set up an innovative arrangement to support EU Member States in the delivery of COVID- 19 vaccines to the  Eastern Partnership countries. 

According to the press service of the European Commission, this  follows an agreement between Commissioner for Neighbourhood and  Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, and Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz  Morawiecki, to step up COVID-19 support in line with current Eastern  Partnership priorities. Together with Poland, the European Commission  has designed an innovative arrangementto increase equitable access of  vaccines in the region. 

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi,  said:  "I am grateful that Poland has stepped forward and agreed to  coordinate this arrangement which will undoubtedly help save lives in  our partner countries by increasing vaccine coverage. This is EU  solidarity in action that will help accelerate the post-pandemic  recovery in the region and increase overall long-term health  resilience, which is one ofthe priorities with the Eastern  Partnership".

Poland, being a co-author of the EU's Eastern Partnership policy, has  been supporting closer cooperation with the Eastern partner countries  for years, including strengthening the state structures and social  infrastructure of these countries. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Zbigniew Rau, said: "Eastern  Partnership countries are among the main priorities of Polish  development policy with numerous project and initiatives financed and  carried out every year. This Team Europe initiative facilitated and  coordinated by Poland aims at ensuring free, fair and sustainable  access to vaccines against COVID-19 for the Eastern Partnership  countries is yet another example of solidarity with this region.  Poland, in consultation with the European Commission, will have a  coordinating role in the process of distributing the vaccines."

The delivery of vaccines by EU Member States under the coordination  umbrella of Poland is an expression of solidarity with Eastern  Partnership countries in the common battle against the pandemic and  its social and economic consequences.

The role of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be to help  match available vaccine doses for sharing across Member States, with  evolving needs in Eastern Partnershipcountries and oversee any  necessary arrangements with vaccine manufacturers and ensure adequate  communication and visibility of Team Europe vaccine solidarity both  in the Eastern Partnership and the EU.  

In case of resale, BGK, Polish Development Bankwill use the EU  contribution to compensate donor Member States for the vaccines on a  not-for-profit basis. The programme will run until June 2023 or until  the EU contribution is exhausted. 

Beata Daszynska-Muzyczka, President of the Management Board of BGK,  the Polish Development Bank, said: "In this project, run jointly with  the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we play for the first time  the role of a partner of the European Commission in distributing  development aid to other countries. We are helping to combat the  coronavirus pandemic - thanks to our joint efforts, between two and a  dozen million vaccines will reach those in need in Eastern partner  countries. Participation in this project would not have been possible  for us if we had not previously obtained Commission accreditation and  implementing partner status. This is another step in tightening  cooperation with European institutions and thus strengthening the  role of our country in the international arena."

This EUR 35 million from the Neighborhood, Development and  International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) is a demonstration of  EU's stepped-up action as part of Team Europe's vaccine-sharing  efforts, to jointly address the pandemic in support to our partners.   According to WHO, the average uptake of a complete COVID-19 vaccine  dose series in the six countries stands just 28.7%  at the beginning  of December 2021, while among health care workers it is 70.3%. The  mechanism will help partner countries reach vaccination coverage  closer to the WHO global vaccination strategy targets: 40% of each  country's population by the end of 2021, and 70% by mid-2022. 

The first delivery under this mechanism is foreseen in the coming  weeks from Portugal to Armenia. A number of other Member States have  already signalled their willingness to participate in this programme.

It should be noted, that the EU's support to the Eastern Partnership  in overcoming the consequences of the pandemic amounts to over EUR2.5  billion to help tackle the health crisis and socio-economic recovery.  The Eastern Partnership covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,  Moldova, and Ukraine.

Around a thirdof all administered doses in the Eastern Partnership  has been provided by the EU, either directly through vaccine-sharing,  or indirectly through COVAX. 

The action complements major efforts by the EU to reduce the COVID-19  health impact by ensuring a rapid and safe deployment of COVID-19  vaccines and fostering structural changes in health systems. At the  outset of the pandemic in early 2020, the EU-funded the provision of  critical equipment and technical assistance through the World Health  Organisation (WHO). Since February 2021, another EU-funded WHO  programme supports Eastern Partnership countries with their vaccine  absorption capacities by enhancing preparedness and deployment  capabilities. 

The action is complementary to COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the  Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator: a global collaboration to  accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to  COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. Team Europe is one of the  lead contributors with over EUR3 billion for the COVAX Facility,  which remains the key global vehicle to ensure fair and equitable  access to these vaccines and delivers on international vaccine  solidarity.