The European Union threatens to ban the export of the AstraZeneca vaccine

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, threatened to stop exports of "AstraZeneca" vaccines if the European Union did not receive its shipments first, in a further escalation of the dispute over delayed dose deliveries, according to Agence France-Presse.

Von der Leyen said, in an interview with the German media group "Funke": "We have the option to ban every scheduled export;

This is the message addressed to (AstraZeneca): Implement your contract with Europe first, before starting to deliver vaccines to other countries. ”

Von der Leyen's warning comes while the European Union countries are making strenuous efforts to accelerate their campaign, and some are facing a third wave of the spread of the Corona virus, and the renewal of restrictions on public life.

The former German Defense Minister said that the giant Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, had delivered only 30 percent of the 90 million vaccine doses it had promised in the first quarter of this year.

This group had reported a delay in production at its factories in the European Union, but European officials were angry that it had managed to implement its contract in Britain, and remained short on the continent.

On Wednesday, the President of the European Commission threatened to resort to emergency powers to stop European exports of "Covid-19" vaccines to ensure "reciprocity" with other suppliers.

In the interview with the German media group, von der Leyen said in a warning tone that "all options are on the table", stressing that European leaders will discuss the issue of delivering vaccines next week.

She mentioned that the European Union’s contract with AstraZeneca provides for the delivery of doses produced in the territories of the European Union and the United Kingdom.

She added, "However, we have not received anything from the British while we are delivering vaccines," explaining that the European Union has sent an "official letter" to submit a complaint to the Swedish-British Medicines Group.

And she continued, "I cannot explain to European citizens why we export millions of doses of vaccines to countries that produce vaccines themselves, and which do not send any of them to us in return."

The French Minister for European Affairs, Clément Bonn, welcomed the stricter tone of the European Commission. He said, “We need the principle of reciprocity: we supply others if they supply us according to the contracts signed,” adding that Europe must “defend its interests”.

The European Union has effectively imposed special supervision on vaccine exports, as manufacturers that have contracted to supply Europe should announce whether they intend to export doses outside the bloc.

The bulk of Europeans ’concerns are centered on Britain, where the vaccination campaign has progressed at a much faster pace.

The Commission accused London of imposing a de facto ban on exports to ensure the success of its vaccination campaign, but the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson vehemently denied this.

And the British Minister of Health announced, on Saturday, that half of the adult population in the United Kingdom had received the first dose of the "Covid-19" vaccine, stressing the "tremendous success" of this country, which recorded the largest number of deaths from the epidemic in Europe.

In a video posted on Twitter, Matt Hancock thanked the participants in the massive vaccination campaign that was launched in early December in the United Kingdom.

While the American company, Pfizer, solved its problems related to the production of vaccines, there are "strong suspicions among European circles that (AstraZeneca) has sold the same doses several times, and it is not able to guarantee that it will deliver the vaccines to the European Union," according to a senior European official.

The mechanism for banning the export of vaccines is primarily the responsibility of the member state in which the vaccine is produced, and then the Commission gives the green light for that. This mechanism was used only once, when Italy prevented the export of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia, Under the pretext of "persistent shortage" and "delay in delivery."

The 27 countries do not support an export ban.

However, countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium, where a large portion of AstraZeneca vaccines are produced, call for caution.

The European Union’s already troubled relationship with AstraZeneca suffered another blow earlier this month, when several countries suspended use of their vaccine due to concerns that it could cause blood clots.

But the European Medicines Agency announced, on Thursday, that the vaccine is "safe and effective," and its use has since resumed in some countries.

The French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday, as did the British Prime Minister.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that they would receive the "AstraZeneca" vaccine if available, in an attempt to boost confidence in it.

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