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Complicating the dispute over vaccine delivery delays, von der Leyen said in an interview with the German media group Funke: “We have an opportunity to ban planned exports. News [farmacijos milžinei] AstraZeneca: First fulfill your contract with Europe, then start supplying [vakcinas] other countries “.
The British and Swedish company itself has admitted not being able to deliver on its promise, and this deficiency has slowed down an already widely criticized vaccination campaign in the EU.
The dispute has also sparked an international conflict, with EU officials outraged that AstraZeneca is fulfilling its contract with the UK but not fulfilling its obligations to the bloc.
EU representatives announced on Thursday that the EC plans to launch a dispute resolution process under an agreement with AstraZeneca on the supply of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Von der Leyen’s warning came as the bloc attempted to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccination campaign by reaffirming quarantine measures in many member states due to the accelerated spread of the virus.
According to the head of the EC, AstraZeneca delivered only 30%. of 90 million. vaccine doses promised for the first quarter of this year.
The company attributes the delay to production problems at its EU plants, but European officials are outraged that, despite these problems, AstraZeneca is fulfilling a contract with the UK.
Von der Leyen singled out Britain on Wednesday, warning of the bloc’s ability to use its emergency and block COVID-19 vaccine exports to ensure “mutual cooperation” with other suppliers, and urging Britain to import more doses. of vaccine to the EU.
“All options are being considered,” the former German defense minister said, adding that the vaccine situation will be discussed at an EU summit next week.
The EU has already developed special rules for vaccine exports, which require manufacturers who have concluded supply contracts in the EU to declare their intention to export vaccine doses outside the unit.
The EU is most concerned about Great Britain, where AstraZeneca is based and where the vaccination campaign is running much faster than the EU.
Brussels has accused London of a de facto export ban to help vaccinate its people more quickly, although Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has vehemently denied such allegations.
The EU export ban mechanism must first be initiated in one of the Member States. It should then be approved by the European Commission.
This mechanism has been applied only once so far: Italy has blocked 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine dose shipments to Australia were attributed to a “permanent shortage” and a “delay in delivery”.
Not all EU countries support export bans as they can disrupt global supply chains. Countries like Belgium and the Netherlands ask for caution.
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