The EU is asking the British laboratory AstraZeneca to deliver anti-Covid-19 vaccines produced in two factories in the United Kingdom as agreed, while the group now plans to deliver in the first quarter only "
a quarter
" of the doses promised, according to an EU official.
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"
It is unacceptable to see the schedule of deliveries reduced to a fraction,
" to "
a quarter of what was supposed to be delivered to us
" in the first quarter, said this official.
The signed contract provides that AstraZeneca mobilizes four factories, including two in the United Kingdom, to produce the doses intended for the EU, which Brussels asks it to do, it is recalled from a European source, against affirmations of the boss of the laboratory ensuring to reserve in London the production of its British sites.
Cross interviews
The latter had indeed assured Tuesday in an interview with several European dailies Tuesday that "the
British agreement was concluded in June (2020), three months before the European agreement
", and that "
London stipulated that the supply from the UK supply chain would go first to the UK
”.
“
It is mentioned that British manufacturing sites were an option for Europe, but only later,
” he added.
We are in no way committed to the EU (...) It is not a contractual commitment.
We said: we will do our best, but without any guarantee of success
”.
“
The EU wanted more or less as many doses as the UK when they signed three months later.
So we said: we will do our best, but we are not going to commit ourselves contractually,
”he observes.
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Asked by AFP, a senior EU official took issue with this interview, saying that "
the idea that the production of British factories would be reserved for deliveries to the United Kingdom alone
" was "
not exact
”.
“
On the idea of 'doing your best': the contract provides for the existence of additional production capacities,
continued the senior official.
So that if there is a problem in one factory in Belgium, we can use the capacities of other factories in Europe or the United Kingdom.
We have a contractual relationship with AstraZeneca, and it is important to have the answers to the questions that arise.
"
