EU is told to deliver on vaccine pledges or face ‘consequences’
MATT HANCOCK has demanded that the European Union deliver on its vaccine promises as he warned there are “very significant consequences” to breaking contract law.
The Health Secretary urged the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen to “live up to the commitments and statements” she has made and “work together” across borders to ensure all populations are vaccinated.
His comments came as Conservative chairman of the Health and Social Care Select Committee Jeremy Hunt raised concerns over suggestions that it is a “political reality” that the Commission President could block vaccine exports.
Speaking in the Commons following a statement from Mr Hancock yesterday, former Health Secretary Mr Hunt warned it is “incredibly dangerous” for anybody to be making threats to the supplies of vaccines when they are “the only way the world is going to get out of our Covid straitjacket”.
He told MPs: “Was (Matt Hancock) as concerned as I was by comments by former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb on the Today programme this morning about the threat by the Commission President to block exports to countries that were ahead in their vaccination programme?
“He said that was a political reality. Irrespective of any breach of legal contracts that it might involve.
“Does (Mr Hancock) not agree it’s incredibly dangerous to make threats to the supplies of vaccines and components, alongside casting aspersions over their safety, at the very moment when vaccines are the only way the world is going to get out of our Covid straitjacket?”
Mr Hancock responded: “I agree with every word that (Mr Hunt) has said.
“I think that it is vital that we all work together.
“These supply chains for the manufacture of these vaccines cross borders.
“They are often global supply chains and it is vital that we work together to deliver them and there is a need for that co-operation and there is of course a need for all countries to respect contract law.
“That is the basis of international trade and I’m sure that the European Union will live up to the commitments and statements that it has made, including president von der Leyen herself who has said that there should not be restrictions on companies when they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities.
“Of course there should not and we fully expect those contracts to be delivered on because there are very significant consequences to breaking contract law.”
As Conservative MPs criticised some EU member states for suspending the use of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot claims, the Health Secretary said it is “a mistake” for European countries to be being over-precautious.
I think that it is vital that we all work together. Health Secretary Matt Hancock.