The European Union, Canada and other countries are pushing trade plans to fight the epidemic

The European Union, Canada and 11 other countries agreed Tuesday to lift export restrictions and other measures. They believe these measures should form the basis of a global agreement to help respond to coVID-19 and future pandemics.

The Ottawa Group will submit its proposals to the World Trade Organisation in mid-December, with the WTO's 164 members expected to sign on by early 2021.

"If we do something in early spring next year, say in March, it will still be an important moment for the containment of the epidemic," a European Commission official said. The official added that the period would cover the vaccine development and distribution process.

The Ottawa group does not include the United States or China. The panel wants WTO members to commit to lifting export restrictions on medical supplies. According to EU officials, the restrictions remain in place for about 70 members.

Any such restrictions should be targeted and temporary and should not hinder the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Plan (COVAX) initiative to provide equitable access to new medicines.

The panel believes that WTO members should take measures to promote trade flows, such as simplifying customs clearance procedures and eliminating tariffs on epidemic prevention materials during epidemics.

The panel also urged greater transparency and called for closer cooperation between the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization and the World Customs Organization to prepare for future outbreaks.

The other members of the Ottawa Group are Australia, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland.

The panel's initiative is not the only one related to the outbreak at the WTO.

India, South Africa and other developing countries want to exempt intellectual property rules to increase access to relatively cheap medicines.

The European Union, the United States and other rich countries have objected, saying pharmaceutical companies need fiscal incentives to develop vaccines and treatments, and that existing trade rules are flexible enough.