European Union - Covid vaccines - Q&A from the press briefing (3 March 2021)

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Q: Is the alliance between Denmark, Austria and Israel on second-generation vaccines acceptable to France?

A: We have taken note of this step by Denmark and Austria. However, we continue to believe very strongly that the most effective way to meet vaccine demand must continue to be based on the European framework. Indeed, this framework ensures the solidarity between member states that is more necessary than ever as well as our collective effectiveness. The most pressing issue now is to pool our resources in order to increase production capacities in Europe, which is what we are currently doing. The European marketing authorization process has also been reviewed, with the introduction of an emergency authorization procedure for vaccines adapted for variants. Lastly, the EU is stepping up efforts to develop second-generation vaccines, with the establishment of a European vaccine trial network funded by the European Union.