President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said vaccine passports must be implemented across the continent before giant technology companies Apple and Google step in to the vacuum.
The EU’s 27 member states supported vaccine certificates in principle but could not agree on the privileges granted to people inoculated against Covid-19.
The bloc’s leaders met on Thursday to discuss a return to normality after its population is vaccinated.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said vaccine certificates were needed to reopen the economy.
“In the future, it will certainly be good to have such a certificate but that will not mean that only those who have such a passport will be able to travel. About that, no political decisions have been made yet,” she said.
Europe’s leaders are facing criticism for a vaccination programme that lags behind the US and UK, and the prospect of a third wave of infections leading to more lockdowns.
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank president, called for a resolute and pragmatic strategy to accelerate the bloc’s inoculation campaign, and suggested a tougher approach to companies that do not respect delivery commitments.
Ms von der Leyen urged the group to move fast because US tech companies were already discussing an alternative with the World Health Organisation.
“It is important to have a European solution because otherwise others will go into this vacuum,” she said. “Google and Apple are already offering solutions to the WHO and this is sensitive information, so we want to be very clear here that we offer a European solution.”
A source familiar with Apple’s position said Ms von der Leyen misunderstood the situation and that Apple had not discussed a possible vaccine application with the WHO or the EU.
"If we don't provide a solution, somebody else will ... whether it's going to be the US big tech companies or somebody else, the solution will be provided," Alex Patelis, chief economic adviser to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told Bloomberg. "Let's get the infrastructure ready."
Countries such as Germany and Belgium came under fire from the EC for closing borders to keep the virus under control.
Some of the bloc’s economies, especially those reliant on tourism, are keen to open their doors to vaccinated people as soon as possible. Other nations, however, are resisting the opening of borders, citing a lack of evidence that vaccination halts transmission, as well as concerns over granting certain citizens special privileges.
Macron’s concerns
French President Emmanuel Macron voiced concerns about the duration of immunity and the infection risk of those who have been vaccinated, as well as legal and ethical issues regarding the protection of personal data.
“We’ll have, in the end, a harmonious EU approach,” he said. “It’s obvious because there is no other choice.”
The summit came after AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot spoke to the European Parliament and sought to deflect blame for a shortfall in Covid-19 vaccine deliveries to the EU.
Mr Soriot said his company would deliver 40 million doses in the first quarter, with the volume to rise in coming months. He said AstraZeneca employees were working around the clock to increase production, but perfecting the process takes time.
“Typically in our industry, we have years to refine the process,” he said. “Here, we didn’t have that time, we didn’t have that luxury. We had six months.”
Rising infections
Ms von der Leyen said vaccine supply would soon be addressed. A graphic was shown to EU leaders demonstrating that availability will be sufficient to vaccinate the bulk of the bloc’s population by the end of September. Mr Draghi was not convinced, according to an official, saying deliveries in the second and third quarters of 2021 could not be predicted.
Concerns over distribution are exacerbated by rising numbers of infections. Paris is among 20 French areas potentially facing tougher Covid-19 restrictions, Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
The government asked health authorities to monitor the situation in the capital and beyond as France seeks to avoid a third nationwide lockdown, Mr Castex said.
The country has recorded an average of about 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day since December, with occupancy of intensive care beds rising, while concerns are mounting over the country’s increasingly pronounced regional variation.
“A lockdown is a tool that we have to resort to when we can’t do anything else,” Mr Castex said. “We must do everything to put it off and allow the vaccines time to have an effect.”
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
