Health Ministers across the EU27 bloc have raised concerns over the unilateral moves of France, Germany and the Czech Republic to restrict the export of some medical supplies and protective equipment that could help halt the spread of the disease.
Others noted that the demand of medical supplies is way higher than the supply, and that member states are quickly falling short of them.
“I believe we must show solidarity in the distribution of protective masks. Blocking exports among member states is not in the spirit of the EU,” said Maggie De Block, Health Minister of Belgium, during an extraordinary meeting with EU Health Ministers on Friday.
“There are legal grounds that make such measures possible, but these kind of unilateral measures first have to be notified to the union,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Jenaz Lenarcic said.
As the Commission set up the Corona response team to confront the fast-spreading disease, its Health chief, Stella Kyriakides, called for solidarity among member states, labelling it as “the key to face up to the challenge of COVID-19”.
COVID-19: EU Health Ministers call for solidarity after member states restrict medical exports
EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET
German Health Minister Jens Spahn (L) and his Croatian counterpart, Vili Beros (R), chat during a special meeting of EU health ministers aiming to set a common strategy in response to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic sweeping over the region, in Brussels, Belgium, 06 March 2020.
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