The General Affairs Council emphasized the need to speed up the production and distribution of vaccines
23 February 2021 News
The General Affairs Council, meeting by videoconference today, prepared the European Council meeting to be held on 25-26 February. In the context of COVID-19, ministers discussed the current situation, reiterating the need to speed up the production and distribution of vaccines.
Common understanding was reached on the need to continue coordination at EU level, especially in view of the spread of new variants of the coronavirus. Ministers emphasized the critical importance of maintaining the functioning of the internal market and the so-called green corridors, ensuring the free movement of essential goods and services. The presence of a vaccination certificate should not be a precondition for the free movement of vaccinated persons. Regarding solidarity with third countries, Member States welcomed the EC's efforts to establish a mechanism for sharing vaccines with third countries, and there was a common vision to assist both the EU's immediate neighbourhood and globally.
In the context of health, attention was drawn to the need to strengthen the Union's resilience and build capacity to manage future health crises.
"Bulgaria appreciates the joint efforts and close coordination within the EU, which also takes into account the different situation in the member states. In Bulgaria, the emergency epidemic situation has been extended until the end of April 2021. Our health system has been mobilized to meet national needs, following a cautious approach to the gradual easing of measures", said the Deputy Foreign Minister, Petko Doykov, who presented the Bulgarian position during the meeting. He pointed out that our country is closely monitoring the spread of new variants of the coronavirus in our country.
"The timely provision of vaccines against COVID-19 is at the heart of the efforts of the European Commission and all Member States. We support vaccination certificates only for medical purposes", Deputy Minister Doykov said.
During the discussion on EU-UK relations, the Deputy Minister emphasized the need to uphold the principle of non-discrimination and equal treatment of all Member States and their citizens, and welcomed the idea of Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to find a solution to the case of applying discounts from the price of fees for long-term work visas for the citizens of Bulgaria and four other EU member states, even before the ratification of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Member States have been informed that they have agreed to extend the period of provisional application of the Agreement until the end of April 2021, in order to allow additional time to obtain EP approval of its text, which is expected to take place in March.
The Conference on the Future of Europe was also part of the Council's agenda, with a hope expressed that the negotiations on the Joint Declaration would make rapid progress, with a view to launching the Conference in the first half of 2021. The official opening event of the initiative is scheduled for May 9 - Europe Day in Strasbourg, if the pandemic situation allows.
The Council also held an initial debate on the Action Plan on European Democracy, which was published by the EC on 3 December 2020. Member States, including Bulgaria, welcomed its main goal, namely the creation of a more sustainable democracy. The plan is structured in three main pillars: protecting the integrity of elections and promoting democratic participation, strengthening media freedom and pluralism, and combating misinformation.
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