Originally Posted by
xsnaggle
sorry sludge, there you go.
No deliveries yet under EU equipment scheme
BBC Reality check
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In late February, the European Union launched a plan to buy equipment to tackle the coronavirus outbreak on behalf of its members.
It was aimed at reducing costs when negotiating with manufacturers.
The first scheme involved buying masks and then, in March, three more schemes were added to purchase ventilators, testing kits and personal protective equipment.
But, to date, nothing has been bought and delivered.
European Commission spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker says that while some of the suppliers that the EU selected have signed contracts, other have not.
The UK did not join the scheme, although it was able to participate because it is still in the Brexit transition period until 31 December 2020. It wasn’t clear at the time whether the government had missed the deadline to join or it did not want to take part.
'Mix-up' over EU ventilator scheme