Coronavirus vaccine – Photo © European Union
(BRUSSELS) – The EU warned Tuesday of tighter exports of COVID-19 vaccines, following the announcement by AstraZeneca that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than it had agreed.
The EU Commission reacted with surprise when AstraZeneca announced a sizeable reduction in its supply of vaccines to Europe. AstraZeneca’s vaccine is currently in the final stages of the approval process with the European Medicines Agency, with market authorisation expected by the end of this week, if all requirements are met.
AstraZeneca informed the Commission and the European Union Member States only last Friday that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than expected.
“This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union,” said EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides: “That is why I wrote a letter to the company at the weekend in which I asked important and serious questions.”
The European Union had pre-financed the development of the vaccine and the production and “wants to see the return,” said Ms Kyriakides.
She said the EU wants to know exactly “which doses have been produced by AstraZeneca and where exactly so far and if or to whom they have been delivered”.
The issue has also been discussed with AstraZeneca in the joint Steering Board of the Commission and the 27 Member States.
“The answers of the company have not been satisfactory so far. That’s why a second meeting is scheduled for tonight. The European Union wants the ordered and pre-financed doses to be delivered as soon as possible.”
The Commission says it wants the EU contract to be fully fulfilled. It has also proposed to the 27 EU Member States in the Steering Board for an ‘export transparency mechanism’ to be put in place as soon as possible.
The European Union has supported the rapid development and production of several vaccines against COVID-19 to the tune of EUR 2.7 billion.
It now says it wants “clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU”.
In this regard, all companies producing vaccines against COVID-19 in the EU will in future have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries. The United Kingdom is now such a third country.
“The European Union will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights,” said Ms Kyriakides.
Humanitarian deliveries are not affected.
