About: Ursula von der Leyen
Paris to bring African vaccine strategy on the table at EU virtual summit
When EU heads of states and government hold an online meeting on Thursday (25 February), they will discuss a proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron to send 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to African countries. EURACTIV France reports.
Von der Leyen tells skittish Europeans: ‘I’d take AstraZeneca vaccine’
The European Union’s most senior administrator said she would happily receive AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine as officials rushed to find ways of ensuring doses refused by skittish Germans did not go to waste.
Commission takes action to preempt new COVID strains, fast track variant vaccines
The European Commission has launched a new bio-defence preparedness plan designed to bolster Europe’s preparedness against the looming threat of new coronavirus strains, which includes moves to fast-track future variant vaccines.
EU to launch programme for ‘second generation’ COVID-19 vaccines
The EU will launch a programme to study Covid-19 variants and produce "second generation" vaccines against future strains, the Commission president has said.
Tweets of the Week: Vaccine Mistakes, Russia Aftermath, OpenLux
Von der Leyen still dodges the blame, Borrell’s Russia excuses are incredibly lame and Luxembourg tax scandal is EU’s shame.
Von der Leyen urges member states to donate vaccines to Ukraine
The European Commission chief said on Monday (8 February) she had called on EU member states to donate some of their coronavirus jabs to Ukraine, as it prepares to launch its vaccination campaign.
Countdown to ‘catastrophe’: How the EU fight for COVID shots unfolded
This Reuters report is based on exclusive details of internal EU talks over the past month in diplomatic notes, and interviews of four people present at key meetings to verify them.
Tweets of the Week: Mario Draghi, Article 16, EU Cancer Plan
Italy turns to former financier, Article 16 is not the answer and EU steps up plans to fight cancer.
How the vaccine export control blunder exposed von der Leyen’s ‘flawed’ centralism
Relevant EU commissioners were not consulted and staffer members had less than 30 minutes for a “quick check” before the EU's proposed vaccine export control mechanism was presented to journalists last Friday (29 January), officials told EURACTIV.
MEPs grill von der Leyen over shaky COVID-19 vaccine strategy
EU lawmakers questioned Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for hours on Tuesday (2 February) over the slow rollout and shortage of COVID-19 vaccines as she took responsibility for an export control plan that angered Britain and Ireland.
AstraZeneca to increase EU vaccine deliveries by 30%: Von der Leyen
AstraZeneca will increase its coronavirus vaccine deliveries to the EU by 30%, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday (31 January) as the bloc sought to claw back time lost rolling out the jabs.
Biodiversity needs its own Paris Agreement, von der Leyen says
The world needs a Paris-style agreement for biodiversity, the President of the European Commission said on Tuesday (26 January).
Brussels doesn’t buy AstraZeneca’s assurances it doesn’t sell EU doses to other countries
AstraZeneca's CEO insisted Tuesday (26 January) that the company was not selling vaccines ordered by the European Union to other countries at a profit, after delayed orders sparked fury from EU leaders.
Covid-19 vaccine firms must deliver, says EU chief
Companies producing Covid-19 vaccines "must deliver", EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday (26 January) as tensions mounted between her European Commission and pharmaceutical firms over delayed deliveries.
AstraZeneca vaccine deliveries must be delivered, Commission says
The European Commission expects contractual obligations of vaccines incurred by drug-maker Astrazeneca to be met as laid out in the original purchase agreements.
EU leaders ‘strongly discourage’ travel, eye tougher border rules
EU leaders on Thursday (21 January) "strongly discouraged" Europeans from non-essential travel and warned tougher restrictions on trips could come within days if efforts to curb the coronavirus fell short.
EU calls on Biden to form ‘new transatlantic pact’
Hours before Joe Biden was to be sworn in as the next US president on Wednesday (20 January), EU leaders extended the invitation to cooperate more closely but also warned that four years of the Trump administration had changed the nature of transatlantic ties.
EU should assert ‘own interests and principles’ to Beijing, says MEP
In an interview with EURACTIV France, MEP Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D) speaks about the EU and China agreeing on 30 December in principle on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CIA) after the French presidency assured on Monday that China's human rights "commitments" would be "very scrupulously checked".
Vaccination certificate ‘is a medical requirement’, says Von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday (14 January) welcomed the Greek government's initiative allowing for vaccinated people to travel freely, and called for a mutually recognised vaccination certificate across European Union countries.
Businesses and consumers will decide whether the EU Green Deal works
As the European Commission fleshes out its Green Deal policy unveiled by Ursula von der Leyen one year ago, companies are looking at how they fit into the picture.
Commission takes evasive action over Germany’s vaccine side deal
The European Commission on Friday (8 January) refused to provide an answer on whether Germany's bilateral deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for 30 million extra doses has broken the commitment to joint procurement of vaccines.
EU watchdog gives green light for second Covid jab
The EU's medicines watchdog approved on Wednesday (6 January) a coronavirus jab by US firm Moderna, giving a shot in the arm for Europe's slow-moving vaccine roll-out.
7 million children are suffering in Europe’s coffee supply chain
The coffee, tea and cocoa consumed in the European Union and even inside the European Commission buildings are produced with slave and child labour, writes Fernando Morales-de la Cruz.