TIRANA – Foreign Ministers of the Western Balkans have called on the European Commission to revise of the current regulation to provide for the exemption from the need for special export permits of medical equipment for personal protection at all times and in sufficient quantities for the Western Balkans.
The urge was made in a letter of the regional diplomatic chiefs compiled at the initiative of Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov, which was sent to European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and EU High Representative Josep Borrell on Thursday. The letter which was quoted by a press release issued by the North Macedonia Foreign Ministry carried a request to exclude the region from the EU Regulation by which certain medical products for personal protection were placed under the regime of export restrictions or special export licenses.
“Given that everywhere on the front line with the Coronavirus are healthcare professionals, we must all ensure that they have the medical equipment for personal protection at all times and in sufficient quantities. That is why we, the partners from the region, have united and urgently have proposed to the European Commission to revise of the current regulation to provide for the exemption from the need for special export permits for our region,” said the press release.
Coronavirus has spread to all parts of the continent, and defeating it requires solidarity and mutual cooperation, noted the press release, which added that the Western Balkans is part of Europe, surrounded by EU member states, and that the withdrawal will send a strong signal that all of us as Europeans are working together to successfully face and overcome this enormous challenge.
The European Commission, which is responsible for the EU’s trade policy, adopted a Regulation on 15 March requiring the Member States to issue export licences for the medical equipment necessary to combat the COVID-19 crisis./argumentum.al
