COVID-19: EU helps deliver vaccines to Kosovo
The European Union is helping Norway to deliver over 180,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Kosovo, following Kosovo's request for assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The Commission coordinates and finances up to 75% of the costs for transporting the assistance.
Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič i, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us. The EU is committed to help share the vaccines globally - we can beat the pandemic only if we act together. I thank Norway for its generous offer to Kosovo. Our Emergency Response Coordination Centre is ready to help facilitate further vaccine sharing.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has coordinated and co-financed the delivery of 140,000 masks and other personal protective items, as well as disinfectants, oxygen generators and antigen tests to Kosovo from Slovenia, Czechia and France.
Background
The EU Civil Protection Mechanismis one of the tools that has been instrumental in providing support to countries requesting assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. Through the Mechanism, the EU helps coordinate and finance the delivery of vaccines, medical and protective equipment and other material across Europe and the world, to countries that seek assistance.
To date, EU Member States have shared over 2.5 million vaccines doses with countries outside the EU via Covax and the Civil Protection Mechanism. This includes, for example assistance channelled via the Emergency Response Coordination Centre such as over 400, 000 vaccine doses from Romania to Moldova, over 50,000 from Romania to Serbia, 10,000 from Croatia to Bhutan, and 55,000 from the Netherlands to Suriname.
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