The European Commission says the message to vaccine manufacturers is very clear and urges them to do everything possible to comply with the contracts they have signed with the bloc, its spokesman said on Friday.
Eric Mamer, a spokesman for the trade bloc, addressed Italy’s decision to block the export of 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia in a media briefing.
“The message is very clear … that we expect companies with which the European Union has signed advanced purchasing agreements to do everything possible to comply with the contracts with the delivery contracts they have with the Member States,” Mamer said.
The fact is that the European Union is a major exporter of vaccine doses, “he added.
“I have always said that I have in fact been in intense discussions with the company to ensure compliance with the delivery schedule, because the EMA has authorized this vaccine and we urge Member States to use it.”
The spokesman went on to say that it is not the EU’s place to tell the company where the doses should go, adding that they remain in the possession of AstraZeneca.
“We are not making a decision to say that these 250,000 doses should reach X or Y, it is not our business,” he said.
“Our business is to say that a decision has been taken by the Italian authorities which we have supported in terms of exports, because the assessment is that progress needs to be made in terms of delivery to EU countries, and this is practically the conversation we will continue to have with the company. ”