German officials urge EU to allow Sputnik V

“It is important to speed up the approval procedures, in particular in the case of Sputnik”, said Bavarian leader Markus Söder after a meeting of the 16 leaders of German regions with the President of the European Commission , Ursula von der Leyen.

According to Söder, studies in Europe on the Russian vaccine have so far shown that it is “highly safe” and “in some cases better than already approved vaccines”.

“We need to approve it quickly and efficiently without getting bogged down in the usual bureaucratic details,” added Söder, a possible candidate for Angela Merkel’s succession.

Berlin Mayor Michael Müller also observed that Europe “needs all the vaccines we can get”.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) launched a review of the Sputnik V vaccine in early March with a view to deciding on its authorization, but a few EU countries have already started distributing it.

The Bavarian Minister-President said Thursday that the approval was only a “matter of time” and that it was important for the EU to organize itself to guarantee the production and supply of this product.

“Europe must negotiate quickly and not wait for the approval to be there. This is an urgent call not to let another chance slip by,” he said.

“If it turns out that Sputnik’s production is difficult, it could be offered to produce it here in Germany,” he added.

The Russian Sovereign Fund (RDIF) announced on Monday that production agreements for this anti-Covid vaccine had been found “with companies from Italy, Spain, France and Germany”, pending its release. homologation in the EU. However, the countries concerned were unable to confirm the signing of such agreements.

The EU is facing difficulties in the supply of anti-Covid vaccines developed by Western pharmaceutical groups.