The European Commission has concluded exploratory talks with pharmaceutical producer Johnson & Johnson to purchase 200 million doses of a potential vaccine against COVID-19. The envisaged contract would provide for the possibility for all EU Member States to purchase the vaccine, as well as to donate to lower- and middle-income countries or re-direct to EEA countries (Sources: DeHavilland, Euractiv).
Under the State Aid Temporary Framework, the Commission has most recently approved:
- a €100 million Hungarian scheme to support companies affected by coronavirus outbreak;
- a €2 billion Italian guarantee scheme to support trade credit insurance market in the context of the coronavirus outbreak.
COVID-19 update 38 – 13-14/08/2020