BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union presses the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to deliver more doses of the coronavirus vaccine to the bloc and keep its initial promises as soon as the jab obtains EU approval, mainly because the bloc has already invested in increasing its capacity production.
Already facing criticism for a slow launch of vaccines among the 27 member countries, the European Commission also wants a transparency register to register and approve all vaccine exports from EU countries to third countries.
“We, as the EU, should be able to know whether and which vaccines are being exported from the EU,” said German Health Minister Jens Spahn. “Only then can we understand whether our EU contracts with producers are being met fairly. The obligation to obtain approval for vaccine exports at the EU level makes sense. “
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held urgent talks on Monday with the company’s head, Pascal Soriot, and EU nations are also meeting with AstraZeneca to encourage the Swedish-British company to increase its production vaccines and meet their contractual goals.
The EU, with the economic and political influence of the largest trade bloc in the world, is far behind countries like Israel and Britain in launching vaccines for its most vulnerable population and health professionals. The bloc’s leaders faced strong criticism for acting so slowly.
The European Medicines Agency is scheduled to review the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Friday and its approval is expected with great anticipation. The AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in Britain and has been approved for emergency use by half a dozen countries, including India, Pakistan, Argentina and Mexico.
AstraZeneca’s announcement that it will deliver fewer vaccines to the EU early on has only increased pressure on the 27-nation bloc, especially since Pfizer-BioNTech, the first vaccine to obtain EU approval, last week failed to maintain its promised deliveries to the EU. Pfizer has temporarily reduced vaccine deliveries to the EU and Canada as it has renewed its factory in Belgium to increase overall production. Italy threatened to sue Pfizer for the delays.
Political pressure spurred the European Commission, which is the EU’s executive, to take action on Monday, with a phone call from von der Leyen to the head of AstraZeneca.
“She made it clear that she expects AstraZeneca to comply with the contractual arrangements under the advance purchase agreement,” said spokesman Eric Mamer.
“She reminded Mr Soriot that the EU invested significant amounts in the company from the beginning, precisely to ensure that production is increased even before the conditional market authorization is delivered by the European Medicines Agency.”
Of course, production problems may arise with the complex vaccine, but we hope the company will find solutions and explore all possible flexibilities to deliver quickly. “
The delays will make it more difficult to meet the initial targets of the EU target of vaccinating 70% of its adult population by the end of the summer.
European Council President Charles Michel said the EU had already “slammed its fist on the table” with Pfizer last week to ensure that delays end by the end of this week.
The EU has signed six vaccine contracts for more than 2 billion doses, but only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved for use so far.
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Geir Moulson contributed to this Berlin report.
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