Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Europe is preparing for daily life with the coronavirus over autumn and winter. 
All the European Union's member states are facing the same questions. 
For instance: Do travellers need to get tested? And if so, what travellers from which areas? Do they have to go into quarantine? And if so, for how long?
How can we all best get access to vaccines and how do we then distribute them?
How can we above all make sure that all countries, and not just those economically stronger, have access to vaccines? 
During Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, we want to resolve these issues through a joint and international approach. 
Europe is only strong when we stand together. Specifically during this pandemic, Europe is only strong if we stand together. The virus recognises no borders. 
And this is why we, too, should not see borders in our fight against the virus and should instead work together in Europe, in the European Union. 
This is something we have definitely already learned once again at this point in the pandemic.
This is why I invited my colleagues, the Health Ministers of the EU’s 27 member states, to join me today with the participation of the European Commission in a video conference, 
to come to a common understanding for a joint approach on travel restrictions and the financing to procure vaccines for Europe. 
As for these vaccines, we have already made considerable progress, also as the European Union as a whole.
As you know, we started some time ago with an initiative by four countries - Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany. 
Soon after, we combined these efforts with those by the Commission – the European Commission – to ensure the supply of vaccines on behalf of all 27 member states. 
In this context... and this is something I want to state very clearly as the German Minister of Health... one question that concerned us particularly, was how to enable access for all 27 at the same time in a fair manner. 
Countries such as Germany, France, other countries, the Netherlands, might, if push comes to shove, also be able to secure access to vaccines on their own. 
But it quickly became very clear to us all within the European Union that it could be very difficult, particularly for smaller member states, to ensure they, too, finally get to be among the countries that have access early on and can draw up contracts. 
And I think this is precisely what makes Europe and the European Union stand out. Together we are stronger. In the best interests of all of us, we therefore agreed: 
Not everyone buys and secures vaccines for themselves; we do this together with the European Commission. 
That is why we are already guaranteeing companies, with which we are currently negotiating, a price in the event of approval.
We are already pre-financing manufacturing and development to make sure that if they get approved, 
it will be possible to ensure the first vaccine doses are available very quickly.
To accomplish this, 2.15 bn euros of the EU budget have already been earmarked. 
One of these contracts, with Astra Zeneca, which is now already public knowledge, was already... one of these contracts has already been signed, seven more will be ready to sign over the coming days and weeks. 
As member states, it was important for us from the very beginning to have a range of technologies... 
for instance, with vaccines you have vector technology, mRNA vaccines... a completely new technology, protein-based vaccines... 
to have various technologies, various providers, various time scales in our portfolio 
in order to ensure we do not have to solely rely on one, but can protect ourselves the best-possible way, whatever the situation.
A large majority of the member states have come out in favour of raising the vaccine budget once again for this negotiation and of making national contributions as well, 
since it’s foreseeable that this will not be enough. We will need as much as 750 million euros in added funding. 
I have made it clear that – also based on our economic strength – we in Germany can well imagine doing our part. 
Many other countries have basically done the same and so we will be making that more concrete over the next few days, also in the commitment –
to use Council jargon – that will then be binding. 
Our aim is clear. Once there is a vaccine, it is to be accessible to all EU citizens on an equal and fair basis. 
We have similar interests when it comes to travel restrictions. We want to avoid restrictions on travel within and into Europe varying too greatly.
These only create uncertainties as well as problems in the border regions. 
This is why this topic was a priority at today’s discussions, specifically the question of quarantine and testing regulations for travel among member states of the European Union. 
We were able to agree that travellers from risk areas should generally be quarantined for a minimum of ten days. 
Some countries want to keep the option of even exceeding these ten days, 
but a minimum of ten days was the consensus everyone could go along with at this point. 
A rather more controversial issue – and one that will require a bit more work – is whether we should have a common Europe-wide approach 
on whether to allow a negative test result five days later to reduce the quarantine. 
Concerning the debate in Germany – what interests citizens the most is: 
What is next for us here in Germany? – I will say that we will now be taking up this debate and this approach of not less than ten days. 
After all, we are just in the process of redrafting the testing strategy, the Quarantine Ordinance and also generally 
the recommendations going into autumn/winter, in line with the decision adopted by the Premiers and the Federal Chancellor. 
The aim is to have the framework in place by early October, for testing, for the testing strategy, which tests are indicated for whom, when, where and how, and how the costs will be shouldered
and the question of quarantine – and this will be informed by today’s debate in the EU Council of Ministers.
I can well imagine that this will also include a quarantine of ten days, and maybe longer, for returning travellers. 
Finally, it is important that we quickly bring together the results of today’s discussion with other strands of debate – such as that on regulations regarding border closures. 
Currently, in Brussels, we have quite a number of different discussion points and fora.
ust today, the Commission published another non-paper, which I wholeheartedly applaud. 
Nevertheless, I think it important that together we quickly evaluate these proposals within the European Union, 
and merge them into a set of overall rules for travel within the European Union. 
We were able to contribute to this effort today with our EU Council of Ministers. 
But just as the pandemic proceeds – and we are still in the midst of it – so too will the discussions. 
What matters is that we have the shared understanding – maybe more so than at the beginning of the crisis – 
that within the European Union we do best when we work together. 
