European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to block exports of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine if the bloc does not receive the promised doses first.
“We have the option of suspending the planned exports. This is our message to AstraZeneca: Please respect the contract with Europe before starting the supply. [dosis] in other countries, “the official said in an interview with German media group Funke.
Von der Leyen said the British-Swedish laboratory AstraZeneca delivered only 30% of the EU’s 90 million promised vaccines in the first quarter.
The company claimed that it had production delays at its European factories, but European officials make no secret of their outrage at AstraZeneca, which managed to deliver all the promised doses in the UK.
On Wednesday, Von der Leyen already threatened to tighten the conditions for vaccine exports to producing countries, a matter of “reciprocity” and “proportionality”.
“All options are on the table,” the official said.
“We are ready to use all the tools we need to do this and make sure that Europe has its fair share,” he added.
The President of the European Commission recalled that the EU contract with AstraZeneca provides for the delivery of doses produced in both the EU and the UK. “But we did not receive anything from the British, even if we provided them,” argued Ursula von der Leyen, adding that the EU had sent a “formal letter” to complain to the Swedish-British pharmaceutical group.
“I am not in a position to explain to European citizens why we export millions of doses of vaccines to countries that produce them on their own and do not return any to us,” he added.
The European Union adopted a mechanism to control vaccine exports in January, and last week extended the deadline for applying those rules until the end of June.
Under this mechanism, companies that have signed pre-sale contracts for vaccines with the EU must obtain authorization to export doses outside the block.
In order to prohibit the export of vaccines, the Member State in which they are produced must initiate the procedure and then the Commission gives its approval.
This mechanism was applied only once, in the case of Italy, which blocked the export of a shipment of 250,000 doses of medicine from AstraZeneca to Australia, arguing the “persistent lack” of vaccines and “delays in supply” by the laboratory.