European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said on Friday 26 March that the European Union would ensure that Covid-19 vaccines produced by AstraZeneca in the EU remain in the EU until the company fulfils its delivery obligations.
“We have the tools and will make sure everything stays in Europe until the company comes back to its commitments”, he said during a visit to the Reig Jofre vaccine production plant in Spain.
This declaration coincides with the entry into force, on the same day and for six weeks thereafter, of the revised export licensing mechanism for Covid-19 vaccines.
The Heads of State or Government “stressed the importance of transparency and the use of export licences” in their declaration adopted at the end of the European Council on 25 March (see EUROPE 12686/1).
The new mechanism allows for the blocking of exports, taking into account several factors (see EUROPE 12685/7). The fact that AstraZeneca is not fulfilling its contract provides a first reason to block exports. But the assessment of the application for authorisation is done on a case-by-case basis, and other elements external to the contract also come into play.
It is therefore difficult to say that all exports from AstraZeneca will be blocked. However, a European source told EUROPE that “the mechanism is already bearing fruit, as AstraZeneca is not submitting requests for high-volume exports because they know they will be rejected”.
As for the tension between the UK and the EU over reciprocal trade, discussions are still ongoing between the two sides, according to European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer. However, he did not confirm the date of Saturday 27 March, mentioned by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the end of the European Council, for an agreement between the two parties.
On Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian added fuel to the fire by accusing the UK of blackmailing AstraZeneca on vaccine doses. “You can’t play like that, a bit like blackmail, insofar as you wanted to vaccinate as many people as possible (for) the first dose, and now find yourself a bit handicapped for the second”, he declared on France Info.
The EU hopes that its partner across the Channel will finally allow the export of domestically produced doses. The advance purchase agreement between AstraZeneca and the EU provides for the mobilisation of two UK plants. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)