France's President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the European Union was facing a "moment of truth", as leaders gathered for a summit to negotiate a huge post-coronavirus recovery plan.

"It's our European project that in play here," Macron said, as he arrived at the first face-to-face Brussels summit for five months, held under social distancing rules.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-1st-phase-3-clinical-trial-of-covid-19-inactivated-vaccine-begins-313875" hreflang="en">World's 1st phase 3 clinical trial of covid-19 inactivated vaccine begins</a>

EU health ministers had said on Thursday that&nbsp;they were planning a common strategy to prevent new coronavirus wave and that they were happy that the European Commission would support efforts of vaccine developers to produce safe and effective vaccines.

"We are at present in negotiations with industry, with member states, in partnership with member states in order to be able to have access to a vaccine or vaccines as quickly as possible, available in an equitable way to all," said the EU&nbsp;Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides, said in a joint conference with EU health ministers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-wins-coronavirus-vaccine-deal-with-germany-france-italy-and-the-netherlands-305648">Astrazeneca wins coronavirus vaccine deal with Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands</a>

The EU is planning to spend around $2.3 billion on the advance purchase of vaccines in testing on behalf of its 27 member states.

EU countries are also pursuing their own initiatives, with Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands making a joint deal with drugmaker AstraZeneca to buy up front its vaccine under development.

AstraZeneca, France's Sanofi, and US&nbsp;firms Pfizer, Novavax, Johnson and&nbsp;Johnson and Moderna are among companies trialing vaccines against the coronavirus.

France's President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the European Union was facing a "moment of truth", as leaders gathered for a summit to negotiate a huge post-coronavirus recovery plan.

France's President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the European Union was facing a "moment of truth", as leaders gathered for a summit to negotiate a huge post-coronavirus recovery plan. "It's our European project that in play here," Macron said, as he arrived at the first face-to-face Brussels summit for five months, held under social distancing rules. Also read: World's 1st phase 3 clinical trial of covid-19 inactivated vaccine begins EU health ministers had said on Thursday that they were planning a common strategy to prevent new coronavirus wave and that they were happy that the European Commission would support efforts of vaccine developers to produce safe and effective vaccines. "We are at present in negotiations with industry, with member states, in partnership with member states in order to be able to have access to a vaccine or vaccines as quickly as possible, available in an equitable way to all," said the EU Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides, said in a joint conference with EU health ministers. Also read: Astrazeneca wins coronavirus vaccine deal with Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands The EU is planning to spend around $2.3 billion on the advance purchase of vaccines in testing on behalf of its 27 member states. EU countries are also pursuing their own initiatives, with Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands making a joint deal with drugmaker AstraZeneca to buy up front its vaccine under development. AstraZeneca, France's Sanofi, and US firms Pfizer, Novavax, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna are among companies trialing vaccines against the coronavirus.

European Union's coronavirus rescue summit 'moment of truth', says Macron

eu-virus-summit

Eu Virus Summit, News on Eu Virus Summit, stories on Eu Virus Summit, articles on Eu Virus Summit, Eu Virus Summit stories at Wion, Eu Virus Summit news, Eu Virus Summit latest news

eu virus-summit

European Union's coronavirus rescue summit 'moment of truth', says Macron