Government Requests EU for Rapid Approval of COVID-19 Vaccine Exports

"Vaccine Certification System Should Not Lead to Trade or Movement Restrictions"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The government has requested the European Union (EU) to promptly approve vaccine exports to ensure smooth global supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 19th that it held the 9th Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Working Group meeting via video conference to discuss this matter.

Our side requested that the EU’s COVID-19 vaccine export authorization system and the Digital Green Certificate system for vaccination proof not lead to trade and travel restrictions.

Currently, vaccine manufacturers within the EU must obtain export approval from member states and the European Commission for exports outside the EU, and we asked for this process to be expedited.

On the 26th, the initial batch of Pfizer vaccines secured through the international vaccine supply organization 'COVAX facility' was unloaded from a Korean Air cargo plane at the Incheon International Airport cargo terminal in Yeongjongdo and transported.
The quantity received that day was a total of 58,500 doses, and these vaccines are scheduled to be delivered directly to five central and regional vaccination centers without passing through the logistics center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
Pfizer vaccine inoculations will begin the next day, on the 27th, at the Central Vaccination Center set up at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Airport Press Photographers Group

The Digital Green Certificate is issued to EU residents who have been vaccinated or recently tested negative in diagnostic tests, and the European Commission announced related legislation on the 17th.

Our side also requested cooperation to include KF94 masks among the masks permitted for use within the EU.

Some EU member states, such as Germany and France, mandate mask-wearing in public places and impose fines for non-compliance, but in some countries (states), KF94 masks are not included among the permitted masks.

We also proposed upgrading the temporary confidentiality agreement related to COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines, signed in June, to a formal agreement to enable continuous and stable information exchange. This agreement involves the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) sharing confidential information related to the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines.

We conveyed the opinion that relevant information such as insurance coverage and post-management plans for high-priced pharmaceuticals and medical devices should be actively provided to expand the entry of our medical supplies into the EU market.

Both sides plan to develop the matters discussed on this day and strive to achieve results at the Korea-EU FTA Trade Committee meeting to be held in Brussels next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.