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The root of the dispute is Astra’s decision to prioritize the UK over the European Union after the troubles in Belgium. Brussels claims that this is a breach of contractual obligations. The parties spoke on Wednesday night, but both continue to maintain their positions. Another meeting is planned.
“We regret that the delivery schedule is not yet clear and we ask AstraZeneca to develop a clear plan for the rapid delivery of the vaccines we have booked for the first quarter,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella after a virtual meeting with the Astra manager. Kyriakides.
The conflict could mean further delays in a slow bloc vaccination campaign. In addition, it is pushing the maker of life-saving vaccines into a political fight with 27 governments and their alarmed voters, desperately trying to pull their economies out of the worst recession in human memory.
This battle is another pain in the tense relations between the UK and the EU after Brexit. The UK, which placed the Astra order three months before the EU, is trying to avoid controversy, but is also looking to show that it has benefited from independence.
Pascalis Soriotas
“Constructive meeting”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters at a press conference that the vaccine shortage in the European Union “is really a matter for our friends in the EU and related companies” and that “we have full confidence in our agreements, we have full trust in our suppliers. “
The bloc accuses Astra of using European funding to expand production capacity and increase production at UK factories, and now prioritizes British ones. According to diplomats with information about the meeting of government envoys in Brussels, EU member states are furious with the manufacturer.
Kyriakides publicly described the meeting as “constructive” and a company spokesperson used the same word to describe the discussion.
Astra CEO Pascal Soriot dismissed the allegations in an interview with European newspapers, saying the company had signed a so-called best effort agreement. That position has not changed.
Speaking privately, an EU official made it clear that European countries are frustrated and that while the bloc does not want to increase tensions, it will not be easy to break out of the stalemate.
The bloc reacted angrily to the news that Astra would deliver fewer vaccines than it had promised and threatened to create a mechanism that could create barriers to exports of vital vaccines produced in Europe.
The proposal, expected later this week, risks unleashing a wave of protectionist measures that could disrupt supply chains while billions of people are still waiting for a vaccine that will allow the global economy to return to normal.
At just 2.2 doses per hundred people so far, the EU lags far behind the US and the UK. In order to vaccinate enough people to return to normal life, the block will have to plow a few more months.
Last year, the European Commission signed a preliminary agreement with Astra to buy up to 400 million doses of Covid-19, as part of the 2.3 billion doses being ordered today in the EU.
The Astra vaccine may receive the green light from EU regulators until the end of this week, after the unit approves the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. vaccines.
The dispute may have repercussions around the world as governments scramble to halt the spread of the pandemic until the growing number of coronavirus mutations has reduced the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.
“Contractual obligations must be fulfilled, vaccines must be delivered to EU citizens,” Kyriakides said.
While the EU is also dissatisfied with Astra not delivering a vaccine delivery schedule after March, the bloc’s current priority is getting the company’s first-quarter delivery plan, the European official said, adding that the goal was to find an “urgent” solution. .
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