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Brussels (dpa) - In the bitter dispute over corona vaccines, the EU states have discussed a possible compromise.
The Portuguese EU presidency made a proposal to distribute ten million vaccine doses from the manufacturer Biontech / Pfizer, which is intended to help particularly needy states, reported diplomats.
Austria is not yet satisfied with this.
One diplomat spoke of an "initial proposal" as the basis for further negotiations.
Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and other EU countries complained about the unequal distribution of vaccines among the 27 members.
As a result, the EU summit last week instructed the EU ambassadors to split up an early delivery of ten million Biontech / Pfizer cans in such a way that holes are plugged.
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The Portuguese Presidency proposed that three of the ten million vaccine doses be reserved for six particularly needy countries, namely Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
As usual, the remaining seven million vaccine doses are to be distributed among all 27 countries according to the proportion of the population.
Austria would therefore not be given special consideration.
So far, the distribution of vaccines ordered centrally by Brussels has been as follows: In principle, each of the 27 states has a right to a share based on population size.
If a country does not use up its share, other EU states can buy up the quantities.
Some governments are particularly betting on Astrazeneca and are now lagging behind due to delivery problems.
Austria ordered less from Johnson & Johnson than it would have admitted and fears gaps.
Kurz meets with little understanding among the EU countries because Austria has a comparatively high vaccination rate - according to data from the EU authority ECDC on Wednesday, 15.7 percent of the population have been vaccinated at least once compared to 12.9 percent in Germany.
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Criticism was also triggered by an announcement from Vienna that it would only approve an EU order for 100 million cans of Biontech / Pfizer after the distribution dispute had been resolved.
EU lawyers have made it clear that Austria cannot veto, said several diplomats.
Approval from all EU states is not necessary to activate the option agreed with Biontech / Pfizer.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210331-99-40476 / 2