BRUSSELS, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The European Commission plans
to conclude this week preliminary talks with French company
Valneva over the advance purchase of its COVID-19
vaccine candidate, EU top negotiator Sandra Gallina told
lawmakers on Tuesday.
"We intend to launch this week a tender procedure for
Valneva," Gallina said in a hearing in the EU Parliament,
confirming a Reuters report from Monday.
(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio
Editing by Catherine Evans)