The EU’s chief negotiator for Covid-19 vaccines, Sandra Gallina, has made no secret of her annoyance at AstraZeneca’s behaviour. Speaking to MEPs in the Committee on Budgets, on 23 March, she also hinted that the still-secret contracts would soon be published and that a seventh and final contract, this time with Novavax, could be added to the EU’s current portfolio.
The EU will use all possible tools vis-à-vis AstraZeneca
“AstraZeneca’s poor performance has damaged the reputation of all of us, the Commission and the Member States” Ms Gallina said, while the EU institution’s vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, confirmed later in the day that AstraZeneca “continues to under-deliver to the EU” .
In the first quarter, the Anglo-Swedish company delivered 30 million doses instead of the 90 million initially promised, and in the second quarter it is expected to deliver 70 million instead of 180 million (see EUROPE 12680/2).
Ms Gallina pointed out that AstraZeneca currently produces doses from only one plant, whereas the contracts identify five. “In this sense, the company is not really in a good position to defend itself”, she said, adding that the EU would use all the tools at its disposal to make AstraZeneca comply with its commitments.
The Commission has initiated a formal procedure of formal notice in the framework of its contract with the laboratory (see EUROPE 12681/2).
Difficulties in allocating the limited number of doses available
AstraZeneca’ s failure to meet its commitments has put pressure on Member States, many of which are facing a new outbreak of cases. In her speech to MEPs, Sandra Gallina recalled that the dose allocation negotiated by the Commission on behalf of the Member States was decided by the EU27 themselves.
She noted that despite the dose allocation mechanism proposed by the European Commission (on a pro rata population basis), Member States had often ordered fewer doses than they were entitled to. The pre-purchase mechanism therefore worked because other Member States agreed to commit to this surplus, Sandra Gallina stressed in reaction to criticism from some Member States that the EU mechanism was “unfair” (see EUROPE 12683/23).
For the rest, Ms Gallina stressed the problems associated with the black market in Covid-19 vaccines. She also pointed out that the advance purchase agreement currently being negotiated with Novavax could be the last one concluded by the EU.
As for the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, which has already been ordered bilaterally by several Member States, she recalled the ongoing review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). And added that several EU countries would act as ‘rapporteurs’ and that a ‘head rapporteur’ would be responsible for conducting site visits.
EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke, speaking at the European Parliament’s Committee on Public Health on the same day, said that inspections of Russian manufacturing plants and clinical sites were underway.
Transparency of contracts
Ms Gallina also hinted that the two remaining still confidential contracts that the European Commission has with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers would soon be made public. According to her, this is due to technical problems.
On Tuesday, the European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, concluded her investigation into the lack of transparency of the advance purchase contract negotiating team. While she accepts the argument that members’ names cannot be disclosed under data protection legislation, she called on the Commission to publish general information, such as their nationality. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)