Saturday, December 19, 2020

WHY does the EU refuse to disclose COVID-19 vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies?

The European Union has officially declined to disclose the contracts with the pharmaceutical companies over the COVID-19 vaccines thus violating the right of the people to full transparency about issues directly related with their safety and health.

As 902 portal reported, the EU Parliament group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) raised the issue during the discussion for “EU's vaccination strategy against COVID-19” in the Parliament's Plenary. In his intervention, KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis asked from the Commission to publish the contracts between the EU and Pharmaceutical industries concerning the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Papadakis pointed out that “the beginning of vaccinations does not balance the huge deficiencies in the public health systems and the insufficient government measures”, adding that the “EU and governments see the vaccine as another source for monopolies' profitability”.

The Communist MEP raised the issue of competition between pharmaceutical companies, which hide research results from each other, thus obstructing multidisciplinary cooperation. The KKE MEP said that questions are raised by the fact that the EU Commission refrains from publishing the contracts signed between the EU and pharmaceutical companies.

“The vaccines must be safe and free. Against conspiracy theories, they must be a conscious demand of the people, for the protection of their health, according to the recommendations of scientists and at the suggestion of doctors”, said Papadakis.

However, in his reply, EU Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas invoked  “confidentiality” issues, saying that the request for the disclosure of the contracts requires the consent of the companies. But this supposed “confidentiality” of the contracts violates the right of the people to be fully informed about how their money are spent.

In times of pandemic, the pharmaceutical companies build their huge profits exploiting the people's concern and need for health and safety and the EU is an accomplice in this crime. 

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©