Vaccine production: Commissioner Breton in Spain and Portugal

Commissioner Thierry Breton, in charge of the Internal Market and responsible for the Task Force on Industrial Scale-up of COVID-19 vaccine production, is visiting Spain and Portugal today as part of his engagement with Member States and companies to accelerate vaccine production. This morning, Commissioner Breton and Reyes Maroto, Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain, visited the pharmaceutical company Reig Jofre in Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona), a subcontractor of Johnson & Johnson. The aim was to meet the people behind the vaccine production effort and discuss the site’s production process and supply chain with the management of the company.  In the afternoon, Commissioner Breton will be in Portugal for a meeting with Prime Minister António Costa for a broad exchange on the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery. Commissioner Breton will also meet Pedro Siza Vieira, Minister for Economy and Digital Transition, to discuss internal market, industry and digital priorities under the Portuguese Council Presidency. Audiovisual material of the visit in Spain will be available on EbS.