Anti-Covid-19 vaccines: AstraZeneca and EU end conflict with agreement
European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, during a press conference dedicated to Covid-19 on May 6, 2021, in Brussels.
© Kenzo Tribouillard, Reuters
Text by: RFI Follow
7 mins
Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the EU have reached an agreement on the supply of vaccines against Covid-19.
The two sides announced Friday, September 3.
It is the end of a legal procedure initiated in the spring by the European bloc because of the delays in deliveries.
This agreement obliges the Anglo-Swedish laboratory to deliver 200 million additional doses to the 27.
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The agreement between the European Union (EU) and the laboratory came three weeks before a new hearing in Brussels.
To end the procedures, AstraZeneca commits to deliver an additional total of around 200 million doses by the end of the first quarter of 2022. This is to complete the approximately 100 million already received by the Twenty-Seven as of June 30. last, said the European Commission in a press release.
She stressed that the contract signed in August 2020 covered 300 million doses.
The Anglo-Swedish giant has confirmed this agreement and
the end of the ongoing trial before the Belgian courts
.
AstraZeneca's delivery delays have poisoned its relations with the EU and tarnished its image, against the backdrop of a race against time to vaccinate the population as much as possible before the development of new variants of Covid-19.
The European Commission, which had negotiated the vaccine pre-purchase contracts on behalf of the member countries (four were approved in the block), announced on April 26 that it had
seized a Belgian court
.
This is to recognize the wrongs of AstraZeneca with regard to the contract established under Belgian law and concluded on August 27, 2020 with the laboratory.
At the heart of the dispute:
the EU criticized the pharmaceutical group for having delivered
only 30 million doses
in the first quarter of 2021
, or a quarter of the 120 million promised.
The Union demanded that the additional 90 million be paid to it by June 30, under penalty of heavy penalties.
Part of future doses to the Covax device
The case was first argued before a summary judge of the Brussels court, in urgent proceedings.
This had given rise to a first decision in June asking the laboratory to deliver to the EU fewer doses than requested.
A trial on the merits was scheduled for the end of September.
Finally, the European bloc will receive by the end of the first quarter of 2022 the 300 million doses initially required for the end of the third quarter of 2021, according to the amicable agreement announced on Friday.
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In detail, AstraZeneca will still provide a total of 60 million for September 30, 75 million for December 31 and finally the balance of 65 million for March 31 at the latest, detailed the two parties in separate press releases.
All after the 100 million doses delivered on June 30.
Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health, welcomed the agreement, stressing that these doses would allow the EU to continue to supply the rest of the world
through the Covax mechanism
.
This device aims to provide this year with anti-Covid-19 vaccines to 20% of the population of nearly 200 countries around the world.
An agreement to "
move forward
", according to AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca vaccines should also make it possible to reduce the gaps in vaccination coverage observed even within the European bloc, several eastern countries being clearly behind schedule.
Brussels believes that Member States will now be able to benefit from a regular delivery schedule and that in the event of a delay, discounts on the price of vaccines will be applied.
These discounts will be 10% for one month late, 25% for two months and 40% after three.
"
There are important differences between member countries in terms of vaccination rates and the availability of vaccines, including those from AstraZeneca, remains crucial,
" said Stella Kyriakides, recalling that the EU had crossed this week the bar of 70% of fully vaccinated adults.
"
I am very happy that we were able to reach a common agreement which allows us to move forward and work in collaboration with the European Commission to help overcome the pandemic
", reacted for his part Ruud Dobber, a the executive vice-presidents of AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca's vaccine, developed in 2020 in partnership with the University of Oxford, is one of four currently approved in the EU along with those from Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna and another US giant, Johnson & Johnson.
(With AFP and Reuters)
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