EU member states' leaders underlined in Brussels on Thursday the importance of timely preparations for COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine distribution, drawing up national vaccination strategies as well as correct and fact-based vaccine information.

The conclusions they adopted at a summit say that it is necessary to make a vaccine available to EU citizens in a timely and coordinated fashion.

It is important to ensure clear factual information on vaccines and fight against disinformation, say the conclusions reached by EU heads of state or government.

They welcome the announcements of the upcoming availability of a COVID-19 vaccine, but warn that it does not mean the end of the epidemic.

The epidemiological situation in Europe remains worrying and we must keep up our efforts to curb the spread of the virus so that we can prevent new infection waves, the EU leaders said.

They announced that they will step up coordination, notably in preparing a gradual lifting of restrictions and restoring normal travel, including cross-border tourism when the epidemiological situation allows.

They called on the European Commission to draw up recommendations for a common framework for fast antigen tests and the mutual recognition of their results.

The conclusions say that vaccination should be treated as a global common good and that the EU will continue with efforts to ensure a vaccine for the whole world at affordable prices.

A debate on a coordinated fight against COVID-19 was the first topic of the two-day summit.

Hungarian-Polish blockade of budget package resolved, EU crisis averted

EU leaders also reached a deal on the next EU budget and Recovery Plan which had been blocked by Hungary and Poland, European Council President Charles Michel said.

Deal on the Multiannual Financial Framework and Recovery Package Next Generation EU, he tweeted. “Now we can start with the implementation and build back our economies.”