UK shuns EU’s vaccine scheme
... amid fears Brussels chiefs would leave us at ‘back of the queue’ when doling out doses
MINISTERS will today opt out of an EU virus vaccine scheme over fears Brussels could limit the number of doses available to the UK.
The European Commission invited the UK to join the new ‘EU vaccine strategy’, which aims to secure advance agreements with manufacturers to provide tens of millions of doses to member states.
Ministers had been interested in the scheme because of the potential economies of scale. But Brussels ruled that because of Brexit, the UK would be barred from attending the scheme’s ‘steering committee’, meaning Britain would have no say in the strategy or in deciding who should get the vaccine first. There were also fears it could delay the introduction of a vaccine in the UK by six months.
The EU initially demanded that Britain drop its support for vaccine development in this country, which is under way at Oxford University and Imperial College.
Although this demand was later dropped, ministers have decided to reject the offer after officials warned it could delay the provision of a vaccine in the UK by six months. With a vaccine seen as key to unlocking the economy, any delay could cost the UK tens of bilitself lions of pounds. The decision to opt out is likely to prompt accusations of anti-EU sentiment within government. But officials last night insisted this was ‘not a factor’.
Sources said joining the scheme could have meant ‘costly delays’ if Britain found ‘at the back of the queue’ for any vaccine the scheme procured. The UK would also have been barred from holding discussions with any vaccine developer in talks with the EU.
One source said: ‘The EU’s terms were pretty extraordinary. We would have had to agree to give them exclusive rights to negotiate on our behalf, but unlike other members of the scheme, we would have had no say over which companies they negotiated with, what price they agreed, the number of doses or the delivery schedule.
‘They wanted to put a ceiling on the volume supplied to each member state. But without us having a say there was a danger that they would give preferential treatment to member states and leave us at the back of the queue.’
Another added: ‘The terms just weren’t right for us. We have our own plans in place and the EU scheme wouldn’t allow the UK to do anything more than it currently is.’
Oxford began phase one human trials in April while Imperial started last month, putting them among the most advanced research initiatives in the world.
Ministers are also understood to be in advanced negotiations with a major vaccine manufacturer about plans to establish a facility in the UK.
If the UK had joined the EU scheme, the Government would have had to hand over those negotiations to Brussels.
UK officials also said there was little evidence that the EU would be able to negotiate lower prices – and said Britain might be better able to conclude deals acting on its own.
Earlier this year, ministers were accused of anti-Brussels bias when they failed to join an EU procurement scheme to buy ventilators. Downing Street denied the charge.
‘We would have had no say’