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Friday, January 29, 2021
Contract with Astrazeneca
Blackened areas legible due to faults
The dispute between the EU Commission and Astrazeneca culminates in the publication of the contract for the delivery of vaccines. However, some parts of the document have been darkened, but were originally readable due to a technical problem.
The EU Commission made a serious mistake when it published its framework agreement with the vaccine manufacturer Astrazeneca. The first version of the passages of the document that had been crossed out at the company’s request could be read using the bookmark function of Acrobat Reader.
It was a technical error, it was said from the commission. This version of the contract was later superseded. The document is available here. “This is very regrettable and worrying,” Astrazeneca boss Pascal Soriot said in a video link. However, there is not much more to say about it. The Commission had urged the publication of the contract. The background for this is the dispute over the cut announced by Astrazeneca in the delivery of the crown vaccine to the EU in the first quarter.
According to the “Spiegel”, the breakdown allowed to see details of the value of the vaccine. Therefore, it should be 870 million euros, which, according to the magazine, should include all costs and expenses of the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company, including costs of labor and materials, operation of systems and equipment, controls of quality, non-deductible indirect taxes. and customs duties, administrative expenses or storage and distribution of vaccines.
Furthermore, therefore, it was stipulated in a place that was plugged that Astrazeneca should not incur any loss in the delivery of the vaccine. If the costs exceed 870 million euros, the company must inform the EU Commission. EU states also have to pay for filling and packaging, as well as storage and distribution of the vaccine.
Non-readable concrete delivery agreements
Under the contract, the EU agrees to pay 336 million euros. Two thirds of this was paid shortly after the contract was signed in August 2020. According to “Spiegel”, however, it is hidden that the last third is paid within 20 days after Astrazeneca has proven that the first was used share. The EU Commission must also notify Astrazeneca of binding orders from individual countries up to 30 days after the conclusion of the contract. Finally, an EU option for 100 million more doses of vaccine was crossed out in the contract. This should be delivered in early July 2021.
Despite the breakdown, the exact delivery agreements for individual quarters were not apparent. The EU and Astrazeneca are fighting over this. While the EU insists that there have been specific commitments on quantities and times, the pharmaceutical company denies this.
The vaccine has now been approved by the European Medicines Agency. As a result of the dispute, the EU Commission has also ordered export controls for corona vaccines that are produced in the EU. He wants to prevent companies from exporting the cans to third countries if they cut deliveries to EU countries at the same time.
