Brussels (AFP)

The European Union and AstraZeneca announced on Friday that they had reached an agreement on the supply of the Twenty-Seven with anti-Covid vaccines, ending the legal proceedings initiated in the spring against the pharmaceutical company accused of having delayed delivering the promised doses .

This agreement came about three weeks before a new hearing in Brussels.

By the end of the first quarter of 2022, the Anglo-Swedish group is committed to delivering in several stages an additional total of around 200 million doses in order to complete the approximately 100 million already received by member states as of June 30. 2021, said the European Commission, recalling that the contract concluded a year ago covered 300 million doses.

AstraZeneca has confirmed this agreement and the end of the ongoing trial before the Belgian courts.

The issue of AstraZeneca's delivery delays has 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 the coronavirus.

The European Commission, which had negotiated on behalf of the member countries the vaccine pre-purchase contracts (four have been approved in the EU), announced on April 26 that it had seized a Belgian court to have AstraZeneca recognized the wrongs with regard to the contract - under Belgian law - concluded on August 27, 2020 with this laboratory.

Vial of AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, in Paris, March 11, 2021 JOEL SAGET AFP / Archives

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, instead 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.

- "Go forward" -

The case was first argued before a summary judge of the Brussels court (urgent procedure).

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.

Ultimately, 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.

In detail, after the approximately 100 million doses delivered by June 30, 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 parts in separate press releases.

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 anti-Covid vaccines this year to 20% of the population of nearly 200 countries around the world.

Boxes of AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus, in Vienna, April 2, 2021 JOE KLAMAR AFP / Archives

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.

"There are important differences between member countries in terms of vaccination rates and the availability of vaccines, including those from AstraZeneca, remains crucial," said Ms Kyriakides, recalling that the EU had crossed the threshold this week. 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.

© 2021 AFP