Dispute on EU vaccine delivery ends
BRUSSELS – The European Union and coronavirus vaccine-maker Astrazeneca said Friday that they have clinched an agreement to end a damaging legal battle over the slow pace of deliveries of the Anglo-swedish company’s shots.
The EU’S executive branch, the European Commission, said Astrazeneca made a “firm commitment” to deliver a total of 300 million doses by March next year, as agreed under the advance purchasing agreement the two sides signed a year ago. About 100 million doses have already been supplied.
The settlement involves the vaccine-maker providing 135 million doses by the end of this year, plus a further 65 million doses by early 2022. The EU’S 27 member countries will be given “regular delivery schedules” and discounts if supplies are delayed.
Astrazeneca was seen as a key pillar of the EU’S vaccine rollout, and the court tussle over delivery obligations further tarnished the company’s image after its shots were linked to rare cases of blood clots. The commission insisted it has no issue with the quality of the firm’s vaccines.
The Astrazeneca shot is also a linchpin in the global strategy to get vaccines to poorer countries. It is cheaper and easier to use than rival vaccines from Pfizer-biontech and Moderna and has been endorsed for use in more than 50 countries.
In June, a Belgian court ruled that Astrazeneca had committed a “serious breach” of its EU contract. The company said at the time that the ruling showed it “fully complied with its agreement” with the European Commission.