When countries introduce moratorium on health care equipment, it is a problem for the whole world, believes the Swedish minister.
Sweden is considering to declare France to the EU Commission for breach of the rules of the internal market.
It is due to a shipment from China with four million face masks to the svenskbaserede company Mölnlycke has been stopped in France.
How does it sound on Friday from handelsministeren.
– It may be time to take the heavy artillery in use, says minister of commerce Anna Hallberg (P).
Many countries have put export restrictions on critical health care equipment within the EU.
Both secretary Ann Linde (S) and Anna Hallberg sees it as very serious.
– Now is the time to contact France again, says Anna Hallberg.
But, dialogue can not solve the problems, there is also an option to report this as a noncompliance.
Hallberg’s view, the problem consists in that, if all countries do like France, it will also go beyond all.
– It is extremely disturbing. There is nothing of what we send to France, to which we can send out of the country, says Mölnlyckes executive director, Richard Twomey, to Sveriges Radio.
the Shipment was stopped in 5. march and should among other things have been brought along to Spain and Italy.
Both Spain, Italy and France are particularly hard hit by the coronavirus and has reported a high death rate because of Covid-19 recent days.
however, It is not only France that have the type of restrictions on the export of critical health care equipment.
Also Hungary, the Czech republic, Poland, Romania, Spain, Italy and Slovakia have done something similar.
And outside of Europe president Donald Trump on the night of Saturday local time in the UNITED states ordered a moratorium on the approved masks and other protective equipment against coronaviruses.
/ritzau/TT
