The European Union is negotiating a global agreement aimed at averting new pandemics, an EU official told Reuters. The agreement may include a ban on wildlife trade and incentives for countries to report new viruses or strains.

International negotiators will meet for the first time on Wednesday (Feb 9) to begin preparing for discussions on a new treaty, according to the official.

By August, the goal is to secure a preliminary agreement.

However, Brussels has so far struggled to gain complete support for a new treaty from the US and other big countries, with some preferring a non-binding deal.

Mr. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, who suggested a new treaty on pandemics in November 2020, said he had no further comments on the topic.

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The transmission of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, from an animal to humans, was discovered in a wildlife market in China, according to the most widely accepted scenario.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) initially praised Beijing for immediately notifying them of the new virus, the United States, in particular, has accused China of withholding information about the outbreak’s potential origins.

A gradual shutdown of wildlife markets is one of the measures the EU wants to be incorporated in the pact, according to the EU official.

Incentives for governments to report novel viruses are also considered as important in assisting with rapid identification and avoiding cover-ups.

After discovering the Omicron coronavirus strain last year, southern African countries were slammed with punitive flying restrictions, which some believe would dissuade reporting of future outbreaks if incentives aren’t tempting enough.

According to the source, incentives may include assured access to medications and vaccinations produced against new viruses, which poorer countries have struggled to receive fast during the Covid-19 pandemic as wealthier ones hurried to grab supply.

States that detect and report a novel virus may be eligible for rapid assistance, which might include medical equipment shipments from a worldwide reserve.

Delegates from six countries will participate in the talks, representing the world’s major regions: Japan, the Netherlands, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, and Thailand, according to officials.

Brazil, which will represent countries in northern and southern America, favors a non-binding agreement.

According to a document seen by Reuters, the EU, which will be represented by the Netherlands, wants to create legally-binding responsibilities to prevent and report future virus outbreaks.

It’s possible that the treaty will be signed in May 2024 if there is a deal.

Countries are also debating changes to the International Health Regulations, a set of global standards designed to control the transmission of contagious illnesses, as part of a revamp of global health rules.

According to two officials familiar with the conversations, the US wants to improve procedures to increase openness and give the WHO speedy access to outbreak areas.

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