EU leaders agree to ramp up the bloc's vaccine production

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EU leaders agreed at a summit yesterday to boost the production of Covid-19 vaccines in Europe, as well as the rollout in member states, according to European Council President Charles Michel who described the move as "absolutely vital".

Earlier this week, the EU agreed to increased export controls of Covid vaccines to non-member states in an effort to prevent shortages.

Vaccine numbers in EU states are lagging far behind those in other countries including the US, UK and Israel. The slow pace of the rollout has been in part caused by issues in the supply chain.

"We are on the one hand inclined to respect global supply chains and want to fight protectionism but of course we also want to protect our own people because we know this is the way out of the crisis," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a press conference.

Following the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated her threat to prevent AstraZeneca from exporting EU-made vaccines.

"I think it is clear that first of all the company has to catch up, has to honour the contract it has with the European member states before it can engage again in exporting vaccines."

Read more: EU Chief von der Leyen issues Covid vaccine export warning at virtual EU summit

AstraZeneca has slashed its production forecasts for the vaccine numbers in the EU in the first and second quarters of this year. 

French President Emmanuel Macron defended the Commission's mechanisms for export control.

"I support the fact that we must block all exports for as long as some drug companies don't respect their commitments with Europeans," he told journalists following the virtual summit.

"It's the end of naivety," he added.

Merkel also commented on the issue of the UK receiving Covid vaccines produced in the bloc.

"In relation to Britain, we want a win-win situation, we want to act sensibly politically," she said, adding that the situation was "complicated".

The EU has shipped 77 million vaccine doses produced in the bloc according to data shared by von der Leyen yesterday, with a quarter of those going to the UK.

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