"Over the weekend, the European Union overtook the United States when it comes to the percentage of people that got their first shot,” announced the health spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Peter Liese, MD, based on data of Our World in Data. After many months of being ahead of us, the vaccination pace in the United States is very slow since already two months. On Sunday, 55.6% had gotten their first shot, in the EU is was 55.7%.
“I am very happy that after difficult months at the beginning of the year, the vaccination campaign in the European Union gained a lot of pace during the last months. Now it becomes clear that not only the pace of vaccination in the first months but also the long-term strategy is important. I am convinced that we have a good argument to explain to people still hesitating that the vaccine was properly tested in Europe. The European conditional market licencing foresees more safety than the emergency approvals in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Amongst others, it included liability for producers when they do a mistake.
“I am very happy that, according to the leaks and other information available on the ‘Fit for 55’-proposal, the European Commission is about to include many of the EPP-priorities for the ‘Fit for 55’ package,” said Peter Liese, environmental spokesperson for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP/Christian Democrats).
Next Wednesday, the European Commission will present its long-awaited proposals to implement the 2030 climate target of net-55% with concrete actions. More than twelve concrete legislative proposals are to be presented. Most of them fall in the remit of the Environment Committee. “As far as I understood, the European Commission will make an ambitious proposal for the support of farmers and forest owners to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, for example, through afforestation. The methodology is designed to support farmers and forest owners through the common agriculture policy as well as private money through a carbon credit system. I very much welcome this idea. Climate neutrality can only be achieved if we not only reduce emissions but also remove carbon from the atmosphere, that is why it is so important to have a net target,” said Liese.
Read more: Market-based measures, innovation, green hydrogen
“If we actually implement this package, climate protection will finally pay off. Companies that invest in climate-friendly technologies, will have better economic opportunities and, in particular, every individual who behaves in a climate-friendly way, will save money", this was the reaction of the environmental policy spokesman of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Dr. Peter Liese to the presentation of the Fit for 55 package of the European Commission.
"I very much welcome the European Commission's clear focus on market-based measures. We need incentives instead of command and control only. I am sure that the totality of all citizens will produce better ideas for climate protection than if every detail is prescribed by the state or even the European Union," the MEP stressed.
Read more: European Commission presents climate package (Fit for 55)
"EU states are starting to overtake the US with their vaccination campaign," informed MEP Peter Liese, MD, referring to figures from Our World in Data. As of Thursday, 53.4% of the population in Italy has been vaccinated at least once, while the United States have stagnated between 50% and 53% since late May. The EU average is 48.2%, and EU countries are significantly increasing the number of vaccinated people each day.
"I attribute the stagnation in the U.S. primarily to the vaccination skepticism in large segments of the population. It must be acknowledged without envy that the U.S. invested more in vaccine production and procurement last year than the Europeans, in part because they had their own agency called BARDA.
Read more: EU countries overtake U.S. with their vaccination campaign