UK warns EU world is on the lookout for AstraZeneca threats

“The European Union knows that the rest of the world is watching the behavior of the Commission,” Wallace told SkyNews television.

“If contracts and commitments are broken, it would be very damaging for a trade bloc that boasts of (respecting) the law“, he added and assured that it would be” counterproductive “.

Highlighting the collaborative nature of the production of coronavirus vaccines, which involves several countries around the world, the British minister warned that this would jeopardize not only the possibilities of his citizens to have an appropriate vaccination program, but also those of other countries in the world, and it would damage the reputation of the EU. “

“Trying to divide or erect walls would harm both EU and UK citizens,” the minister then insisted in an interview with the BBC.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, threatened on Saturday to block exports of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine if the EU does not first receive the promised doses, reiterating a warning it had already issued in the middle of last week.

“We have the option to suspend planned exports. Here is our message to AstraZeneca: Respect the contract with Europe before starting to supply [dosis] to other countries“, said the official in an interview with the German press group Funke.

The President of the European Commission recalled that the EU contract with AstraZeneca provides for the delivery of doses produced both in the EU and in two factories in the UK.

“But we did not receive anything from the British, even if we provided them,” argued Ursula von der Leyen, adding that the EU had sent an “official letter” to complain to the Swedish-British pharmaceutical group.