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With the European Union behind the UK and the US in the race to vaccinate its citizens against the Corona virus, the action taken by the European Commission will require pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca to obtain prior authorization before sending vaccines manufactured in one of the countries of the Union to other countries.
“Protecting our citizens and their security is a priority and the challenges we face today leave us no choice but to act. It is a race against time – we cannot waste time after time. failing to deliver vaccines on time, “said EU Trade Commissioner Valdes Dombrowskis. journalists on Friday.
The move marks a dramatic escalation in the global battle for vaccinations, with thousands of deaths every day and the European economy grappling with lockdown measures that have lasted almost a year. But the move risks raising accusations of protectionism as the European Union tries to compensate for perceived errors in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies and slow implementation of national immunization programs.
The new rules, which will last until the end of March, will allow European Union countries to ban exports if a set of predetermined criteria are not met, although officials have been careful to point out that the decision did not reach the level of a general ban. . The main condition will be that companies have already delivered a sufficient number of doses to members of the European Union, as stipulated in existing purchasing agreements.
The restrictions will affect vaccine production and packaging facilities operated by AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, France and elsewhere.
While the ruling raises questions about its legitimacy, WTO rules on export restrictions include exceptions in the event of severe commodity shortages or the need to protect human life and health. The WTO dispute settlement system has been inactive since 2019, meaning the challenge will not have recourse in the Geneva-based trade body.
AstraZeneca moving
The dispute erupted over Astra’s decision to prioritize Britain over the European Union, as the union claimed it violated terms, while the company warned last week that the delivery of its doses to the European Union this quarter will be less than half of what was initially planned.
Earlier on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told “Deutschland Funk” radio today: “There are obligatory supplies and the contract is quite clear,” noting that it contains clear supply quantities for last December and the first three quarters of 2021 (i.e. until September of this year).
“AstraZeneca has explicitly assured us in this contract that no other obligation will prevent performance of the contract.”
Viral mutations
Von der Leyen’s comments came after the company informed the European Commission last week that it would cut the volume of planned supplies by 60% in the first quarter of the year, acknowledging that it was behind schedule vaccine production.
Today, the European Medicines Agency declared that Corona vaccines are able to cope with mutations in the virus. At the same time, he urged vaccine manufacturers to respect the schedule and delivery times of the shipments. She noted that the publication of the contract signed with AstraZeneca provides the required transparency.
The statements come at a time when all 27 member states are criticizing AstraZeneca for delaying deliveries, while the German Vaccination Committee has recommended that this vaccine not be given to people over 65.
The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency is due to hold a press conference via the Internet at 2:00 GMT.
The move comes against the backdrop of an increase in the number of cases of the disease and heightened anxiety in Europe after the German vaccination committee recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine be given only to people under the age of 65 years.
The most delicate task
In parallel, a team of experts affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) began its very sensitive mission in China, and met Chinese officials on Friday, before the first field visits to Wuhan, as part of the an investigation into the origin of the disease, which will include a food market considered to be the source of the epidemic.
And the United States, where the first cases of the mutated South African version of Covid-19 have been detected, called for a “clear and thorough” investigation. However, Beijing feared the finger of blame, and it responded by rejecting any “political interference.”
On January 12, the British laboratory AstraZeneca officially requested the approval of its vaccine in the 27 Member States of the European Union as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
“The AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 is currently only recommended for people aged 18 to 65,” the German vaccination committee wrote Thursday in a document seen by AFP.
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