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The EU merged with AstraZeneca in late January, when the company informed Brussels that the former will not deliver as many doses of vaccine as agreed in the quarter due to problems at one plant.
Eurocrats were particularly angry when the company’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, emphasized that a specific commitment to administer a specific dose was not included in the contract, although later disclosure of part of the contract revealed that this was likely the case.
Anger spilled in Brussels and AstraZeneca’s refusal to transfer part of its doses to EU countries from factories in the UK, Staffordshire and Oxford. The company has announced that under an agreement with the University of Oxford, these doses must remain with the British.
“Scanpix” nuotr./Pascalis Soriot
It was then that the EU, while suspecting that the doses of vaccines produced in community factories were leaving for the United Kingdom, decided to adopt a mechanism by which vaccine manufacturers must obtain an official authorization to export doses from the EU.
Decided not to let go of the vaccine doses
The Commission has been ensuring for several weeks that such a mechanism is necessary simply for the sake of transparency, in order to avoid misunderstandings and resentments.
It is true that Van der Leyen assured the leaders of the 27 EU countries last week that exports would be prohibited in cases where producers do not fulfill their contractual obligations. This is how this case seems to be interpreted.
AstraZeneca produces vaccines in the UK, as mentioned, but has four plants in the EU: in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.
AFP / Scanpix photo / Factory in Italy that produces vaccines against AstraZeneca
And Australia just ordered $ 53 million from the company. vaccine dose. Delivery due to start in March – AstraZeneca vaccine doses are easier to transport and store than Pfizer / BioNtech products that require special freezers.
At the end of last week, the EC was informed of the intention to block the shipment of vaccine doses, which supported the measure.
The whole problem behind Mario Draghi’s new government in Rome was that AstraZeneca handed over 10-15% to Italy last week. fewer doses of vaccine than expected.
The company assured that its commitment to deliver 4.2 million euros to Italy The doses of the first quarter of this year will be respected. However, the Italian government rushed to act immediately: at the end of last week, the EC was informed of the intention to block the shipment of vaccine doses, which supported the measure.
Draghi, former president of the European Central Bank, also argued in the European Council that the Community should tighten controls on the export of vaccine doses.
„Reuters“ / „Scanpix“ nuotr./Mario Draghi
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that Australia was not considered a “vulnerable country” and that the decision (to block the shipment of vaccines, ed.
Was Pandora’s box opened?
This Italian decision is expected to further heighten the concern of those who see the EU in the way of protectionism in the supply of vaccines.
“Pandora’s box is open. Mistake. An example for others. There may be tragic consequences for supply chains. A prelude to the global fight for COVID-19 vaccines? Escalation is inevitable,” wrote Bernd Lange, president German from the Trade Committee of the European Parliament, on Twitter.
However, the EC itself has always emphasized that no prohibition can be said. Furthermore, at the end of February, the President of the EC, von Leyen, had just underlined that the Community was far from behaving in the same way as, for example, the United Kingdom and the United States, which are actually blocking exports. of vaccines.
“Scanpix” / AP nuotr./Ursula von der Leyen
The new president of the United States, Joe Biden, has just signed an ordinance prohibiting the export of vaccines when he takes office. The order was still formulated by the Donald Trump administration and has not been amended.
EU diplomat: Italy has sent more than one clear message to AstraZeneca: the treaty must be respected. AstraZeneca will generate 60 million jobs in the EU in the first quarter at doses lower than those agreed, putting 30 million at risk for the lives of EU citizens.
For its part, the EU has accepted around 150 applications for vaccine doses since the export authorization scheme was approved. Italy was the first to reject such a request.
Italy has sent more than one clear message to AstraZeneca: the agreement must be respected. AstraZeneca will generate 60 million jobs in the EU in the first quarter, doses lower than those agreed, putting 30 million at risk for the lives of EU citizens.
This situation, zero effort to rectify the situation, the inability to even apologize and the courage to later apply for permission to export vaccine doses, a very arrogant step. Italy has rightly prevented it, “said an EU diplomat, The Guardian.
The Community has agreed with AstraZeneca on doses of the vaccine developed by these companies in collaboration with the University of Oxford. Germany, France, Belgium, and other countries have recently dropped the current recommendation not to vaccinate older people with this vaccine.
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