(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAY 6 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that Brussels was ready discuss a US-backed proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines. But she stressed that Europe's priority would be to boost global supplies, and implicitly criticised the US and the UK for limiting vaccine exports. "The European Union is also ready to discuss any proposal that addresses the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner," she told an online conference. "And that's why we are ready to discuss how the US proposal for waiver on intellectual property protection for covered vaccines could help achieve that objective." On Wednesday, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Washington now supports calls for a global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines while the pandemic rages. US President Joe Biden had been under pressure to back the move, which could help poorer nations produce cheaper generic versions of the latest jabs. (ANSA-AFP).