The EU is to start Covid-19 inoculations on 27 December, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. "It's Europe's moment.
On 27, 28 and 29 December vaccination will start across the EU," she tweeted. Ms von der Leyen had previously called for a coordinated start to inoculations on the same day in all 27 EU countries.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said an expert panel will convene on Monday to evaluate the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Deliveries will start on 26 December from vaccine production sites in Belgium and Germany but the Commission said it would be up to each of the EU's 27 states to organise and coordinate their own vaccination programmes.