DRUGMAKERS SEEK RULE CHANGE

Some of Europe's biggest pharmaceutical companies are asking the EU for a "one-time pass" on rules requiring medications to be labeled in over 20 European languages.

Drugmakers say it will help them to produce an eventual COVID-19 vaccine faster, bypassing a lengthy process of translating packaging and instructions, Euronews reported.

Instead, one single language would be chosen for hundreds of millions of doses.

Consumer groups worry it could set a dangerous precedent and become a permanent excuse for companies to cut corners on consumer protection.