Covid-19 vaccine: the standoff between the EU and the AstraZeneca laboratory
The European Commission deplores the still opaque calendar of the Anglo-Swedish laboratory AstraZeneca.
The EU is all the more upset that it paid AstraZeneca an estimated sum of 336 million euros when the contracts for the vaccine against Covid-19 were signed.
REUTERS - JASON CAIRNDUFF
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The European Union has embarked on a standoff with AstraZeneca since the Anglo-Swedish laboratory announced delays in the delivery of its vaccine.
The European Commission is trying to get the contracts to be respected, but the laboratory seems for the moment to oppose an end of inadmissibility to its demands.
On the evening of Wednesday January 27, a meeting took place in Brussels between representatives of AstraZeneca, the European Commission and EU states.
The aim of the Europeans was to obtain explanations and guarantees, but there is still some way to go.
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With our correspondent in Brussels
,
Pierre Benazet
There had already been two vaccine steering committee meetings between the European Union and
AstraZeneca on
Friday and Monday.
After this third meeting, the European Commission continues to believe that it has not received a clear justification for the production delays announced by the Anglo-Swedish laboratory.
The calendar is still opaque, deplores the Commission.
The EU is all the more upset that it paid AstraZeneca an estimated sum of € 336 million when the contracts were signed, funds specifically intended to increase production capacity.
A plan requested from AstraZeneca
After having thundered and triggered an inspection of the Belgian AstraZeneca factory, the European Commission now considers that the relationship is "
constructive
".
She asks the lab for a plan so that scheduled deliveries will be honored.
“
It is unacceptable to see deliveries reduced to a fraction,
” said European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
She adds that the intention to reserve the production of factories located in Great Britain to the United Kingdom does not correspond to the contract signed with the EU.
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To read: Covid-19: AstraZeneca foresees delays in delivery of its vaccine for the EU
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