site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Calls for Compensation Mechanism for Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines in EU

Sofia, March 17 (BTA) - "We are proposing a per capita
compensation mechanism for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines
 in the EU and want additional vaccines to be used to compensate
 a dozen of EU states which have received fewer vaccines," said
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov after a video conference with
European Council President Charles Michel. Also participating in
 the meeting were Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Slovenian
Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej
Plenkovic, Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins, and
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, the government information
service said on Wednesday.

The video conference took place after a working meeting in
Vienna on Tuesday of the six EU government leaders which
discussed the fair distribution of vaccines in the EU.

Prime Minister Borissov urged that the issue of the compensation
 mechanism is resolved before a European Council meeting next
week. "I hope that all EU member countries will support us
because this is the only way to respect the European principle
of solidarity," said Borissov.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister thanked European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen and  EU Council President 
Charles Michel for the their work and expressed confidence that
being aware of the problems with vaccine deliveries they will
find ways for correction through the proposed compensation
mechanism.

"We didn't participate in the approval of the vaccines and in
the negotiations on the contracts. Currently the contracts are
not honored and fewer vaccines are delivered regardless of the
fact that we pay diligently," said Borissov, quoted by the
government information service. Borissov recalled that the EU
member countries have invested in the development of the
COVID-19 vaccines long before they began to be manufactured.
RY/PP