While the British laboratory AstraZeneca has announced significant delays in the delivery of its vaccine to the European Union in the first quarter, Brussels is putting pressure on the pharmaceutical giant to keep its commitments.

Several experts notably inspected the group's Belgian plant.

A standoff has opened between Brussels and the AstraZeneca laboratory, whose highly anticipated vaccine against Covid-19 should be authorized by the European Medicines Agency on Friday.

On Wednesday, the European Commission was ostensibly angry, as the laboratory announced that deliveries expected in the first quarter would be reduced to a quarter of what had been planned.

And the pressure put by Europe seems to be giving first results.

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A new meeting was indeed held Wednesday evening with the British laboratory, the third in three days.

The tone was constructive, greeted the European Commissioner for Health at the exit.

"We will work with the company to find solutions," writes Stella Kyriakides in particular on the social network twitter.

Constructive tone in our exchange with @AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, in our Vaccine Steering Board, on deliveries of their vaccine following approval.

The EU remains united & firm ➡️ Contractual obligations must be met, vaccines must be delivered to EU citizens.

- Stella Kyriakides (@SKyriakidesEU) January 27, 2021

Brussels checks

A change of tone that contrasts with the atmosphere of Wednesday afternoon, when European officials openly wondered where the doses planned for the European Union had gone, while the group has two factories on the continent.

"I see that many vaccines have been shipped outside the EU, customs data does not lie," said an expert on the matter.

"We will find the information," threatened another.  

At the same time, European experts were inspecting the Belgian AstraZeneca plant, the one affected by a drop in productivity according to the group.

Their report is expected in a few days.

Until then, Brussels is waiting for a new precise timetable for the deliveries.

Ten days ago, a similar rise in tension took place with the Pfizer lab, and resolved quickly.