Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Where are pre-funded cans?
Europe feels betrayed by Astrazeneca
The manufacturer Astrazeneca does not even want to deliver half of the guaranteed 80 million vaccine doses to the EU. However, she defends herself. Because other customers are apparently not affected by the delivery difficulties. EPP health politician Liese accuses the group of "playing wrong".
In the dispute over the unilaterally cut vaccine deliveries, EU representatives suspect the manufacturer Astrazeneca of trying to deceive the Europeans. In contrast to the representation of the group, it is "not that they cannot deliver, but that they have decided to deliver what they can deliver to other parts of the world – including the UK -", said the EPP -Health expert Peter Liese from the Berlin broadcaster Radio Eins. The MEP accused Astrazeneca of "playing wrong".
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides is also investigating the suspicion that Astrazeneca had already delivered vaccine doses pre-financed and produced by the EU to other recipients last year. The EU now wants to see "the consideration" for the pre-financing, said Kyriakides. They wanted to know exactly which cans were produced where by Astrazeneca and whether and to whom they were delivered. "The company's answers to these questions have so far been unsatisfactory. The EU, Kyriakides announced, will" take all measures to ensure its Protect citizens and their rights ".
Astrazeneca has been in the crossfire since last Friday when the company announced that it would only be able to deliver a good 30 million doses to the EU in the coming weeks instead of the agreed 80 million vaccine doses. The reason are problems "in the European supply chain". The critics from the EU do not find this reasoning convincing. There is suspicion that Astrazeneca initially wants to supply customers who, like Great Britain, have agreed a higher price than the EU, which has taken on vaccine procurement for all 27 member states.
"Commission shows the guns"
The EU had already co-financed various vaccine projects last year – long before it was clear when which preparations could be approved – with more than two billion euros. This should enable mass production to begin even before approval. Astrazeneca received hundreds of millions of euros and started making its vaccine in the fall.
Liese called Astrazeneca's approach "completely unacceptable". "This is a breach of contract," said the health politician. However, he assumed that this position could not be maintained for the company. Regardless of the details of the contract and a possible legal dispute, the group could not afford to take on the "largest single market in the world". "The commission is now showing them the guns. Then things will turn for the better in the next few days, I am convinced of that," said Liese.
As a first consequence of the dispute, the EU Commission suggested that the 27 member states introduce an "export transparency mechanism", Kyriakides said. "In future, all companies that manufacture vaccines against Covid-19 in the EU will have to report vaccine exports to third countries at an early stage," demanded Kyriakides. The German Minister of Health Jens Spahn went even further. He reiterated his call for export restrictions on vaccines made in the EU. He was in favor of "that vaccines that leave the EU need a permit so that we at least know what is being manufactured, what is leaving Europe – and when it leaves Europe, whether there will be a fair distribution," said Spahn on ZDF .
.