"Yes it is true that no one was really ready for this," Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Thursday morning. "It is also true that too many were not there on time when Italy needed a helping hand at the very beginning. And yes for that, it is right that Europe as a whole offers a heartfelt apology."

More than 21,000 people with the virus have died in Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University - the highest death toll in Europe.

As Italy struggled to contain the outbreak in early March, both France and Germany placed restrictions on the export of face masks - despite warnings from the EU Commission that such actions could undermine the collective response to the virus.