European Council
The President
Brussels, 18 January 2021
Dear colleagues,
I would like to invite you to our next videoconference on the fight against COVID-19 on
Thursday 21 January at 18.00.
The infection rates across Europe and the emergence of new, more contagious variants of
the virus warrant the utmost caution. The prospect of vaccinations is encouraging but
we must maintain our vigilance and continue our testing and tracing approach while
allowing EU cross-border movements.
In order to ensure better coordination, I would like us to exchange on best practices on
the measures taken across Member States and discuss the outlook for the coming weeks.
Our most pressing issue is vaccines. The good news is that today we have access to two
vaccines approved in the European Union and we have secured agreements for four
others.
Accelerating vaccination across the EU is our absolute priority. I will first invite the
Commission to offer a state of play on the vaccination roll-out, future production
increases and the equitable access to vaccines. Member States can then share their
experience on the implementation of vaccination campaigns.
The vaccination process opens the debate on certification. We will discuss the suitability
of a common approach to certification, as well as, if appropriate, under which
circumstances certificates could be used.
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