EU taxpayers should know precisely how their money is used for vaccine development

In the European Parliament’s committee on budgets, members heard Ms Sandra Gallina, director for health and food safety (DG SANTE) at the European Commission on the clarity needed in relation to the financing of its COVID-19 strategy.

Unfortunately, S&D Group MEPs are not satisfied with the answers provided and are still requesting further detail, in whatever form (Court of Auditors report, hearings with CEOs of pharmaceutical companies or commissioners, quicker and wider publication of the Anticipatory Purchase Agreements between the Commission and pharmaceutical companies).

Eider Gardiazábal Rubial MEP, S&D spokeswoman on budget, said: “Over the past few months, we have been asked to refill the EU budget twice, up to €3 billion in total, largely to finance the accelerated vaccine research investments of pharmaceutical companies. So far, we still do not know clearly how much went to which company. On top of this, member states claim they had to complement these amounts as that money has been used up, and again, we do not know how much each. I do not want to believe that pharma companies are rushing for profit in these times. Solidarity in the face of a common threat is what guides our European response to COVID-19.

“Parliament lived up to its responsibilities in the urgent context we were facing. Now citizens want to know how it was done and they have that right. The S&Ds have taken on this cause, and will not drop it until these questions are answered in detail.”

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