AstraZeneca delivery: EU vaccine exports stopped for the first time

The manufacturer AstraZeneca wanted to export a quarter of a million doses of vaccines from the EU to Australia. But nothing comes out: Italy has banned the export because the company does not adhere to supply agreements with the EU.

For the first time, the export of corona vaccines from the European Union to a third country has been stopped. Italy prevented the delivery of 250,000 doses of vaccine from the British-Swedish manufacturer AstraZeneca to Australia, the “Financial Times” and the dpa news agency reported, citing EU circles.

The basis is an export control system introduced at the end of January. According to this, pharmaceutical companies that have delivery obligations for the EU must apply for export permits for vaccines produced in the EU. If manufacturers illegally harm the EU in terms of delivery quantities, approvals can be denied. AstraZeneca had drastically reduced its contractually promised delivery volume to the EU in the first quarter and thus sparked a lot of resentment.

EU states are responsible for permits

Exports to several partner countries and developing countries are excluded from the system. Partner countries include Switzerland, Israel, and Ukraine. The EU member state in which the vaccines destined for export were produced is responsible for export permits. EU states obtain the opinion of the EU Commission before taking any decision.

In the present case, Rome and Brussels were in agreement according to the information from dpa. Other export applications from other companies had already been approved, most of them from BioNTech and Pfizer, which supply many countries in Europe.

AstraZeneca does not comply with agreements

Unlike BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna, AstraZeneca has not yet supplied the EU with the quantities of vaccines promised in the contract. The company reduced the quantity for the first quarter from 80 million to 40 million cans. Vaccines produced in the EU were suspected of being shipped to third countries. That was the reason for the introduction of the export mechanism.

Export restrictions are politically sensitive for the EU. Because it is desirable that pharmaceutical companies produce in Europe and establish new locations here. It is also recognized that corporations have delivery obligations to other countries. Therefore, the EU Commission emphasizes the line that exports cannot be stopped as long as contracts with the EU are fulfilled. It is even the case that much of the EU vaccine reaches third countries, while little or nothing is exported from the US and Great Britain.