Vaccines are a global public good, not the exclusive property of any one company, the Polish prime minister wrote in the Brussels-based Politico magazine, proposing two main courses of action.

In his writing, Mateusz Morawiecki recalled that in the past few days, EU officials pleged to do their utmost in order to accelerate the production and distribution of coronavirus vaccines.

The European Commission s growing determination to enforce the contracts with pharmaceutical companies is a good sign, especially because much of the continent is facing the likelihood of a third wave of coronavirus outbreaks, the prime minister said, adding however, that this was not enough.

„It s time for strong statements to be replaced by strong actions. More efficient solutions need to be put on the table,” he said.

According to the Polish prime minister, the European Union should focus on two main courses of action.

First it should make the authorisation of exporting vaccines produced in EU countries conditional on producers compliance with their existing contractual obligations with regard to the EU. Second, it should make use of the compulsory license procedure, allowing governments to grant companies the right to manufacture a patented product without the patent holder s consent.

PM Morawiecki said the first measure will allow the European Commission to enforce contracts with pharmaceutical companies, adding that it was unacceptable to put profits in front of human lives during a pandemic.

The second measure, the compulsory licensing procedure, would provide a legal basis for EU countries to ramp up their production capacities by purchasing patents and enabling other manufacturers to contribute to vaccine production efforts, the Polish premier wrote.

This is a sensible and necessary measure, he added, highlighting that research bolstered by huge public subsidies and investments has also contributed to the development of coronavirus vaccines. Thus, these vaccines are public goods and cannot be the sole property of a single company.

He noted that it was possible under the law to initiate such a procedure.

„Vaccines are our strongest weapons to fight the coronavirus epidemic. We must use all available legal instruments to defend ourselves as effectively as possible,” he said, adding that we can only successfully curb the virus if we „act together and in solidarity” and „show that we are united and provide vaccination for all Europeans.”