The EU has published its strategy for developing a vaccine for COVID-19 within 12-18 months, and producing it at sufficient scale to fulfil global needs. The UK is eligible to take part in this initiative, because it is funded from the 2020 EU budget, but has decided not to do so.
The Committee is writing to the Secretary of State to ask to what extent the UK could have participated in vaccine negotiations, whether additional rationales presented in the media have any basis in the Government’s analysis, whether it was a factor that the UK will be paying for the scheme either way, and about the views of the devolved administrations.
Correspondence on this issue has now been closed.
EU Strategy for COVID-19 vaccines: 9021/20
EU Strategy for COVID-19 vaccines Explanatory Memorandum EM 9021/20