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The latest IMF analysis of global economics, finance, development and policy issues shaping the world //

Dear maria, Welcome to the Weekend Read! In today's edition we explore, among other things, why in some countries there are a lot of jobs but not enough workers, more detail on a new IMF trust fund, how the IMF is adapting to new challenges, what makes for a happy society, how economists can use strategic foresight, and the outlook for fragile and conflict-affected economies. **We want your input on the issues and trends economists and policymakers should be watching in 2022. Feel free to drop us a note.** Labor (Photo: Richard B. Levine/Newscom) Solving the Jobs Mystery In some countries, jobs are plentiful yet workers are scarce. A new blog by the IMF's Carlo Pizzinelli and Ippei Shibata explains why this phenomenon is playing based on data from the United States and United Kingdom. What their research found is that older workers leaving the workforce, the difficulty mothers of young children are facing with childcare and school interruptions, and a mismatch between the jobs available and those that people want are driving the trend. What's not having a major contribution is generous income support programs in response to the pandemic. --Why it's important: This employment gap, if it is persistent or widens further, could have major implications for growth, inequality, and inflation. A continued sluggish employment recovery amid sustained labor demand could constrain economic growth while fueling wage increases. While higher wages would be good news for workers, they could further fuel inflation. One common thread is that job vacancies and voluntary quits in the US and UK are highest among so-called low-skill occupations. While it remains to be seen how widespread and persistent this phenomenon will be, these facts hint at a possible change in worker preferences triggered by the pandemic. --Calling it Quits: The leading contributor to the employment gap in both the US and UK, accounting for around 35 percent of the outstanding employment gap versus pre-pandemic levels, is older workers leaving the labor market. It’s unclear how many of those who retired or quit may eventually return to work. Resilience and Sustainability (Image: Rose Kouwenhoven/IMF) A New IMF Trust Fund The IMF's Ceyla Pazarbasioglu and Uma Ramakrishnan laid out in a new blog this week how a proposed IMF Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) will help low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries build resilience to balance of payment shocks and ensure a sustainable recovery. The $50-billion trust fund would also be a place where countries could channel their Special Drawing Rights to more vulnerable nations. --Key design features: About three quarters of the IMF's membership would be eligible for RST financing. This would include all low-income countries, all developing and vulnerable small states, and all middle-income countries with gross national per-capita income of less than roughly $12,000 per year. The RST aims to address macro-critical longer-term structural challenges that entail significant macroeconomic risks to member countries’ resilience and sustainability, including climate change, pandemic preparedness, and digitalization. Access to RST financing would be determined case by case, based on the strength of reforms and debt sustainability considerations, and is expected to be capped at 150 percent of IMF quota or SDR 1 billion, whichever is smaller.  --Timeline: Pazarbasioglu and Ramakrishnan said they hope for broad support from IMF membership and international partners. The aim is to secure IMF Executive Board approval before the upcoming Spring Meetings and for the trust to become fully operational before the year’s end. Global Challenges (Image: Rose Kouwenhoven/IMF) The IMF Meeting Global Challenges From COVID-19 and climate change to digitalization and diverging demographics, the IMF’s member countries are confronting new challenges. In a new blog, the IMF's Sanjaya Panth and Ceyla Pazarbasioglu explain how the Fund is revisiting its policy advice, lending activities and capacity building to meet the evolving needs of its membership. The IMF's financing tools have modernized over time. To help countries address short-to-medium-term challenges emerging from the pandemic and beyond, the Fund will continue to deploy its traditional toolkit of surveillance, lending and capacity building, though minor modifications may sometimes be necessary.  Increased surveillance and lending focus on longer-term issues is also critical at the current juncture. Deep-seated structural issues are becoming much more prevalent in today’s world; they should be addressed now to prevent larger and more painful balance of payments problems in the future, the authors write. F&D (Photo: Sofia Busk/IMF) A Life Well Lived Denmark, Costa Rica and New Zealand stand out as three countries that are getting something right when it comes to maintaining the health and happiness of their citizens. In an article in our latest issue of Finance & Development, we look at what sets these countries apart in terms of effectively delivering services at the community level, cultivating social trust, and accounting for well-being at the highest policy level. Living amid the despair caused by a global pandemic has taught us that happiness, as we know it in its many forms, is important for the functioning of societies. Read the entire article. Check out our December Issue of Finance & Development.  Want to get a print copy delivered to your home or office? Click here to subscribe.     World Economic Outlook The IMF will release its update to the World Economic Outlook on Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. ET. The release will be accompanied by a press conference with the IMF's Gita Gopinath, Petya Koeva Brooks and Malhar Nabar.    (Photo: IMF)   IMF Market Insights Digitalization is changing our understanding of what “money” is and how it operates. Join the IMF’s Tobias Adrian at the 2022 MyFintech Week where you’ll hear more from him on central bank digital currencies. Sign up for the IMF's Market Insights, the IMF’s platform for analysis on global financial markets and related work    (Photo: IMF)   Essential Reading: Risk Management Check out our eLibrary section on risk management, where you can find all the latest IMF research on issues related to cybersecurity, finance and business, insurance, and risk modeling. Quote of the Week "Mitigating economic risks from long-term structural challenges requires a consistent and deliberate approach, with strong commitment from policymakers to undertake sometimes difficult reforms." —The IMF's Ceyla Pazarbasioglu and Uma Ramakrishnan in a blog on the proposed new Resilience and Sustainability Trust. WEEKLY ROUND-UP 01. Global Economic Outlook IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Friday discussed the impact of the ongoing pandemic, rising debt levels, inflation and other issues during a World Economic Forum panel discussion on the global economic outlook. She stressed that in 2022, policymakers’ new year’s resolution should be "flexibility" as they face a tough obstacle course over the coming year. Watch the event with Christine Lagarde, Haruhiko Kuroda, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Paulo Guedes. 02. The Global Recovery in 2022 The IMF's Ceyla Pazarbasioglu this week discussed the global recovery amid diminished policy support, new COVID variants, continuing supply chain disruptions, increasing inflation, and rising debt burdens in many countries. The event hosted by the Center for Global Development also featured Ayhan Kose, Hanan Morsy, and Liliana Rojas-Suarez. 03. Strategic Foresight for Economists Strategic foresight (SF) is the systematic exploration of multiple plausible futures to inform present decisions. The IMF’s Alberto Behar and Sandile Hlatshwayo have published a note on why SF should be part of the economist’s toolkit and document the IMF’s experience with the methodology. Foresight is especially valuable when traditional risk analysis and model-based forecasting approaches have their limits (e.g., contexts with elevated uncertainty or structural breaks) and includes a range of complementary tools. At the IMF, foresight has palpably influenced strategy and operations (e.g., the Comprehensive Surveillance Review, creation of the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, and responding to the COVID-19 crisis). It has also informed broader institutional contingency planning and crisis response preparedness in the current environment of heightened economic uncertainty. Fragile and conflict-affected states already confronted some of the greatest challenges among the world’s economies even before the pandemic. Our latest Chart of the Week from the IMF's Franck Bousquet illustrates how the pandemic exacerbated income divergence between these economies and the rest of the world. Per capita incomes in fragile states won’t recover to near their 2019 levels until 2024, IMF projections show. While each is different, fragile states typically have reduced institutional capacity and provide limited services for the population. They’re also characterized by limited ability to manage or mitigate social, economic, political, security or environmental risks. Conflict-affected states have active armed violence leading to civilian or military deaths. Adam Behsudi Editor IMF Weekend Read abehsudi@IMF.org   P.S. Be sure to let us know what issues and trends we should have on our radar as we launch into 2022. The divergence between these countries and the rest of the world is at risk of widening. Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below. Fragile and Conflict-Affected Economies Are Falling Further Behind (Image: ERHUI/iStock by Getty Images) By Franck Bousquet Even before the pandemic, fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS) already confronted some of the greatest challenges among the world’s economies. While not all FCS face active conflict, most are at risk: global levels of violence are at a 30-year high and more than 80 million people had been forcefully displaced prior to the discovery of the coronavirus. Now, the continuing pandemic poses a significant risk that the divergence between these countries and the rest of the world will widen—and persist. The chart of the week illustrates how the pandemic exacerbated income divergence between these economies and the rest of the world. Per capita incomes in fragile states won’t recover to near their 2019 levels until 2024, IMF projections show; and by then, the gap with pre-crisis per capita income trends is set to remain larger for FCS than for other countries. These dimming prospects may be difficult to reverse because fragility and conflict interact with—and are often exacerbated by—global trends such as climate change, soaring food prices and gender inequality. The IMF classifies more than 40 economies as fragile and conflict-affected. Examples include Libya, Yemen, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Haiti and Papua New Guinea. Fragile states are already home to nearly 1 billion people and are on course to be home to 60 percent of the world’s poor by 2030 . While each is different, fragile states typically have reduced institutional capacity and provide limited services for the population. They’re also characterized by limited ability to manage or mitigate social, economic, political, security or environmental risks. Conflict-affected states have active armed violence leading to civilian or military deaths. In these vulnerable economies, slower recovery has followed an especially hard hit from the pandemic. Their per capita gross domestic product contracted 7.5 percent last year amid increased political tensions, limited policy options to respond to the pandemic, lockdown and other steps to contain the virus, and volatile oil prices. In addition, debt and inflation pressures are mounting. Compared to pre-pandemic projections, public debt rose by 17 percentage points to 78 percent of gross domestic product in 2020, IMF research shows. Fragile states also saw consumer prices surge 9 percentage points above their pre-pandemic projections. Food inflation particularly exacerbates food security challenges and is reversing past progress. Global food prices rose 23.1 percent last year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Together, these challenges underscore how fragile states risk falling even further behind the rest of the world—and why supporting them, more than ever, must be an international priority. ******   We Want To Hear From You! Click here for a 3-question survey on IMFBlog. Jeff Kearns Managing Editor IMF Blog jkearns@IMF.org   Thank you again for your interest in IMF Blog. Read more of our latest content here. Take good care!

WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION:Deadline extended to submit Aid-for-Trade questionnaires for 2022 Global Review

 

21 Jan 2022 Latest news

Dear maria CHADZIDAKIS VAVOURANAKIS, Below are the news items published today on the WTO public website

NEWS ITEM Deadline extended to submit Aid-for-Trade questionnaires for 2022 Global Review As part of the Aid-for-Trade Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, WTO members, observers and their development partners are invited to submit their self-assessment questionnaires by 31 January 2022. Their responses will be analysed by the WTO Secretariat and presented at the upcoming Aid for Trade Global Review later in the year. News item   ⟶

ΕΝΩΣΗ ΕΙΣΑΓΓΕΛΕΩΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ:"Με αφορμή πρόσφατες δημόσιες επικρίσεις – αναφορές του βουλευτή Παύλου Πολάκη κατά δικαστικών λειτουργών..

 Αριθμ. Πρωτ.:10 -15/1/2022

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

     Με αφορμή πρόσφατες δημόσιες επικρίσεις – αναφορές του βουλευτή Παύλου Πολάκη κατά  δικαστικών λειτουργών, σχετικά με το χειρισμό συγκεκριμένης εκκρεμούς ποινικής υπόθεσης, την “αναγγελία” ίδρυσης δεύτερης σχολής δικαστών και «γενναιόδωρου προγράμματος εθελουσίας εξόδου» ήδη υπηρετούντων  δικαστικών λειτουργών με ηλικιακά κριτήρια, παραβλέποντας θεμελιώδεις διατάξεις του Συντάγματος, η Ένωση Εισαγγελέων Ελλάδος, τονίζει ότι, πέραν του ύφους και του περιεχομένου τους, με αυτές επιχειρείται στοχοποίηση και ανεπίτρεπτη παρέμβαση στη δικαστική λειτουργία, παράλληλα  δε δημιουργούνται  προβλήματα στις σχέσεις των δύο συντεταγμένων λειτουργιών, με περαιτέρω διακινδύνευση του κύρους αμφοτέρων.

    Αντιπαρερχόμενοι  αυτές με νηφαλιότητα, αυτοπεποίθηση και εμπιστοσύνη στις δυνάμεις και ικανότητές μας, δηλώνουμε προς κάθε κατεύθυνση ότι εφαρμόζουμε   πιστά και ανυποχώρητα το νόμο και  ενεργούμε  κατά  συνείδηση, όντες ανεξάρτητοι  από τέτοιου είδους παρεμβάσεις και απρόσφορες προσπάθειες χειραγώγησής μας.

 

"δρόμος ΤΗΣ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΡΑΣ"..

Στον Δρόμο που κυκλοφορεί
το Σάββατο 22 Ιανουαρίου..


Πανδημία, ακρίβεια,
τύμπανα πολέμου
Τη ζημιά πληρώνουν εσαεί οι «υπήκοοι» • Οι ελίτ πλουτίζουν ασελγώντας επί της κοινωνίας • Ευθυγράμμιση του πολιτικού κόσμου στα πολεμοχαρή κελεύσματα της Δύσης • Ενδοτικές υποκλίσεις στον τουρκικό επεκτατισμό




editorial
Σύνθημά τους: «μισοζωή»! Και πολύ είναι…

Τι μας λένε λοιπόν με τον πιο απροκάλυπτο τρόπο; Ότι η ζημιά που έγινε στην οικονομία από την κρίση, από την πανδημία, το κόστος της πράσινης μετάβασης κ.λπ. θα πληρωθεί «από τα κάτω». Δηλαδή θα μετακυλιστεί προς τους «υπηκόους», εργαζόμενους και φορολογούμενους. Και θα ισοφαριστεί με νέα κέρδη, που θα προέλθουν από την αύξηση των τιμών (να η ακρίβεια) και από νέα καθολικά και μεγάλα προγράμματα λιτότητας. Κι όλα θα γίνονται στο όνομα της «έκτακτης κατάστασης» (αφορμές θα παρουσιάζονται διαρκώς, όπως πανδημία, ενεργειακή κρίση, οικολογική κρίση, πληθωρισμός, πόλεμος ενάντια στην Κίνα και τη Ρωσία κ.ο.κ.).

Διαβάστε όλο το editorial

Κυκλοφόρησε το ημερολόγιο του 2022
1922, Ιστορία που αντηχεί ακόμα

Αγορά


ΔΙΕΘΝΗ
ΗΠΑ-Ρωσία:
Ποιοι θέλουν
έναν νέο πόλεμο
στην Ευρώπη;
Γράφουν οι:
Τζέιμς Πέτρας
Σπύρος Παναγιώτου


ΤΟ ΘΕΜΑAσυλίες και προνόμια

ΕΠΙΚΑΙΡΟΤΗΤΑ
Η Υγεία διαλύεται και ιδιωτικοποιείται

ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑ
Αυξάνει το χρέος σε απόλυτα νούμερα του Κώστα Μελά

ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΗ
Ενεργειακή κρίση, κλιματική αλλαγή και καπιταλιστική αναδιάρθρωση (Μέρος Α')
του Δημήτρη Α. Τραυλού-Τζανετάτου




Δωρεάν Εγγραφή

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION's update

 

Weekly hot topic Statement on the 10th meeting of the Emergency Committee regarding COVID-19 The Committee unanimously agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic still constitutes an extraordinary event that continues to adversely affect the health of populations around the world, poses a risk of international spread and interference with international traffic, and requires a coordinated international response. Find out more     Other hot topics Prevent cervical cancer  January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and the new section in our Women's Health Chatbot is here  Learn about the symptoms, how to prevent it and stay healthy! Share it with the women in your life and be a positive influence!  Find out more World NTD Day 2022 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect over 1 billion people globally and are caused mostly by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins. We can all contribute to the effort to end NTDs and make the world a healthier place. Find out more   Latest on COVID-19 Why are experts concerned about Omicron? If Omicron is less severe, why are people ending up in the hospital and dying from it? Is it true that everyone will eventually get Omicron? Why is it important to reduce transmission? WHO's Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.  Find out more COVAX delivers its 1 billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose Together with our partners, COVAX is leading the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history, with deliveries to 144 countries to date. But the work that has gone into this milestone is only a reminder of the work that remains. Find out more

French Presidency of the Council of the EU..update

21/01/2022 00:00 | Press releases Press Release - Informal meeting of health ministers Omicron: public health measures, 4th vaccine dose, prospects for medium-term management of the covid-19 crisis - Friday, 21 january 2022 This Friday, 21 January 2022, the European health ministers had a special meeting via videoconference to share best practices in managing the crisis and to align national strategies to the greatest extent possible. They agreed to strengthen coordination of national strategies by sharing information on the roll-out of national vaccination campaigns and to fully mobilise the instruments put in place by the Union. They also reaffirmed the principal of international vaccine solidarity at international level. A health worker prepares a vaccine shot© Jeanne Accorsini / Sipa Press This Friday 21 January 2022, the European health ministers had a special meeting via videoconference to share best practices in managing the crisis and to align national strategies to the greatest extent possible. They agreed to strengthen coordination of national strategies by sharing information on the roll-out of national vaccination campaigns and to fully mobilise the instruments put in place by the Union. They also reaffirmed the principal of international vaccine solidarity at international level. The intensity of the successive wave of Omicron variant cases is a reminder that the public health crisis is unpredictable and requires constant attention. The public health crisis continues to have a significant impact on economic and social life in the EU Member States and calls for us to continually re-evaluate how we manage this crisis.  The public health situation requires, now more than ever, a coordinated response from the Member States. The Member States recognise the importance of a coordinated approach to guarantee the best possible protection for EU citizens in the long term, beyond simply reacting to this outbreak.   They therefore identified several focal points: Stepping up vaccination to increase primary vaccination coverage (one or two doses) and increasing booster shots; continuing to share information between countries regarding key data on the effective roll-out of the booster campaign in the case of possible administration of a 4th dose: period between booster shots, target population groups, pharmacovigilance data, heterologous vaccination courses, impact on serious cases and hospitalisations, etc. mobilising all of the instruments put in place by the European Union, such as the European policy for joint procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and medical countermeasures; based on the latest information and data available. strengthening the global solidarity of the EU to guarantee access to vaccines and treatments against COVID-19. continuing to strongly support countries with insufficient access to vaccines, whether through donations or by scaling up production. The available resources must allow for 4th doses to be administered without undermining the European vaccine solidarity policy. The European Health Union is not only the EU's added bonus but a concrete construction that we hold so dear and that prospers thanks to us. — Olivier Véran, Minister for Solidarity and Health

Council of the EU:update

 

Press material Saturday 22 January 2022

● Council of the EU   22/01/2022 09:37 | Press release | Presidency press release - Significant progress made at the informal meetings of the ministers for the environment   Human and environmental health and protecting the natural environment were central to the discussions that took place from 20 to 21 January in Amiens as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The ministers gathered to address major issues throughout several sessions: chemicals, imported deforestation, agro-ecology, the just transition, and interactions between the environment, climate and energy, in particular challenges surrounding forests.

Human and environmental health and protecting the natural environment were central to the discussions that took place from 20 to 21 January in Amiens as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The ministers gathered to address major issues throughout several sessions: chemicals, imported deforestation, agroecology, the just transition, and interactions between the environment, climate and energy, in particular challenges surrounding forests.


From 20 to 21 January, the environment ministers met to discuss biodiversity and human and environmental health. Two joint sessions bringing together the environment and energy ministers addressed the role of forests in climate, energy and environmental policy, and discussed the concept of the “just transition”.


First working session of the environment ministers
Theme: The agroecological transition: EU coherence and harmonisation concerning plant protection products

This exchange made it possible to:
share best national practices for reducing the use of pesticides and to take account of the ambitious policies put in place by several Member States;
identify the most relevant measures to be collectively retained at European level in order to cut pesticide use in half by 2030, which is a major component of the agroecological transition;
emphasise the need for a coordinated effort to find alternatives to plant protection products and to offer farmers solutions;
draw particular attention to “mirror clauses”, in particular with the aim of demanding imported products be subject to the standards in force in the European Union.
to take account of the Member States’ marked interest in the principle of banning exports to third countries of chemical products prohibited in the EU.

This initial working session falls under the upcoming recasting of the Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides, which will be discussed in Agriculture Council meetings. The purpose of the Directive is to help achieve the goals of the European Green Deal and the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The environment ministers will have the chance to revisit this issue during the Environment Council meeting in June.


Working lunch with the Environment Ministers
Theme: Implementing the European sustainability strategy in the field of chemical products

This working lunch provided the opportunity to identify the Member States’ priorities to inform the main upcoming legislative initiatives in 2022 and to collectively move forward with removing dangerous chemicals from the market.

Several major initiatives are expected by the end of the year:
the cross-cutting definition of the concept of endocrine disruptors in the CLP Regulation (Classification, Packaging and Labelling Regulation);
the proposed revision of the REACH Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals;
the restrictions applicable to these substances.
The implementation of the concept “a substance/an evaluation” and the need to have a harmonised definition of nanomaterials were examined.

Once again, the discussions addressed the challenges associated with banning exports of chemicals banned in the European Union.

Second working session of the environment ministers
Theme: Combatting imported deforestation

Combatting imported deforestation, one of the French Presidency’s priorities, is at the heart of the talks between the Member States. This working session provided an opportunity to gather more precise information on the main elements of the Member States’ positions regarding the Commission’s legislative proposal and to open up the debate on the challenges surrounding cooperation with third countries. The Commission’s proposal received a very positive response on this subject, which would allow Europeans to consume products in the knowledge that they have not contributed to the destruction of tropical forests.

Several provisions will be debated over the coming weeks:
extending the Regulation’s scope to other basic products such as rubber;
taking into account the impact of the production of these materials on other fragile and biodiversity-rich ecosystems, such as grasslands and wetlands, and possibly bringing it under the scope of the Regulation;

Technical discussions will now be stepped up to build an effective, controllable European mechanism that can serve as a benchmark for the rest of the world.

Joint working session with the Environment and Energy Ministers
Theme: The role of forests and the wood sector in environmental, energy and climate policies

This session reaffirmed the complex and key role of forests and the wood sector in the success of EU climate, environmental and energy policies. Common points of understanding were identified in order to define ambitious, compatible goals, in particular within the framework of the negotiations on the LULUCF regulation and the RED III revision of the Fit for 55 package. A significant number of ministers emphasised the shared commitment to promoting the uses of wood to build up carbon sinks in the Member States, while preserving forest ecosystems. Several major focuses emerged from the discussions:
the essential role of forest carbon sinks in achieving climate neutrality by 2050, and reinforcing public action in support of forests;
the increased use of wood moving toward long-term usages;
improved recycling and energy recovery of biomass wastes; and
the relevance of the principle of “cascade utilisation” of biomass, which must be applied with discernment.

Joint working lunch with the Environment and Energy Ministers
Theme: The just transition

During the joint working lunch, the ministers held a constructive discussion on the opportunities offered by the low-carbon transition and on the concept of the “just transition”. A number of ministers stressed the importance of ensuring a just transition, through support measures to facilitate re-training for workers and the transition for companies as well as helping households, while prioritising the most vulnerable. Discussions nonetheless remain open regarding the methods and means to be implemented, at both national and European level, to achieve this. With regard to extending the carbon market to the road transport and construction sectors, this proposal was not met with consensus and must be further discussed in depth, including alternative approaches. Discussions also highlighted the need for vigilance with regard to the high volatility of carbon prices, as well as the importance of ensuring that prices are comprehensible to encourage long-term investment and the emergence of disruptive technologies.

Press material Friday 21 January 2022

● Council of the EU   21/01/2022 19:06 | Press release | Presidency press release - Informal meeting of health ministers Omicron: public health measures, 4th vaccine dose, prospects for medium-term management of the covid-19 crisis   This Friday, 21 January 2022, the European health ministers had a special meeting via videoconference to share best practices in managing the crisis and to align national strategies to the greatest extent possible. They agreed to strengthen coordination of national strategies by sharing information on the roll-out of national vaccination campaigns and to fully mobilise the instruments put in place by the Union. They also reaffirmed the principal of international vaccine solidarity at international level.

This Friday 21 January 2022, the European health ministers had a special meeting via videoconference to share best practices in managing the crisis and to align national strategies to the greatest extent possible. They agreed to strengthen coordination of national strategies by sharing information on the roll-out of national vaccination campaigns and to fully mobilise the instruments put in place by the Union. They also reaffirmed the principal of international vaccine solidarity at international level.


The intensity of the successive wave of Omicron variant cases is a reminder that the public health crisis is unpredictable and requires constant attention. The public health crisis continues to have a significant impact on economic and social life in the EU Member States and calls for us to continually re-evaluate how we manage this crisis.

The public health situation requires, now more than ever, a coordinated response from the Member States. The Member States recognise the importance of a coordinated approach to guarantee the best possible protection for EU citizens in the long term, beyond simply reacting to this outbreak.

They therefore identified several focal points:
Stepping up vaccination to increase primary vaccination coverage (one or two doses) and increasing booster shots;
continuing to share information between countries regarding key data on the effective roll-out of the booster campaign in the case of possible administration of a 4th dose: period between booster shots, target population groups, pharmacovigilance data, heterologous vaccination courses, impact on serious cases and hospitalisations, etc.
mobilising all of the instruments put in place by the European Union, such as the European policy for joint procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and medical countermeasures; based on the latest information and data available.
strengthening the global solidarity of the EU to guarantee access to vaccines and treatments against COVID-19.
continuing to strongly support countries with insufficient access to vaccines, whether through donations or by scaling up production. The available resources must allow for 4th doses to be administered without undermining the European vaccine solidarity policy.

The European Health Union is not only the EU's added bonus but a concrete construction that we hold so dear and that prospers thanks to us.— Olivier Véran, Minister for Solidarity and Health