Covid-19: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could reduce infections 1:17
Rome (CNN) -
Italy invoked the powers of the European Union (EU) to block the export of 250,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Australia on Thursday, in a dramatic escalation of a dispute between the EU and the pharmaceutical giant. AstraZeneca.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi's spokeswoman Paola Ansuini confirmed the move to CNN, adding that Italy and the European Commission had agreed on the action.
This is the first time that these EU measures have been used for vaccines.
The story was first reported by the Financial Times.
In late January, a public and bitter fight broke out between the EU and AstraZeneca over vaccine delays, after the company informed the bloc that it would deliver tens of millions of doses less than agreed by the end of March.
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The European Commission subsequently adopted new measures that give member states the power to restrict the export of COVID-19 vaccines outside the bloc, in certain situations.
The mechanism is not supposed to affect humanitarian aid or COVAX, the global initiative that aims to distribute some 2 billion vaccines to the poorest countries.
Vaccination in the 27-nation bloc has continued to falter, prompting some increasingly frustrated member states to turn to outside countries for help.
Only 5.5% of the EU population of 447 million have received a first dose of the vaccine, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Thursday, Italy's Foreign Ministry explained its decision to prevent AstraZeneca from exporting its vaccine, citing the company's delays in supplying its vaccine to Italy and the European Union, and noting that Australia is not considered a nation " vulnerable ”by the EU.
According to the ministry statement, Italy previously authorized the export by the company of "modest quantities of samples destined for scientific research activities", but warned about the shipment in question because it involved 250,700 doses.
The statement cited "the high number of doses of vaccines subject to the application for export authorization compared to the number of doses supplied to Italy and, in general, to EU countries so far".
AstraZeneca has declined to comment on the Italian decision.
The European Commission "did not oppose" Italy's decision to impose a vaccine export ban for Australia, an EU official told CNN on Thursday.
The official is closely involved in business processes within the Commission, but is not authorized to speak officially about closed-door meetings or business documents between the Commission and the Member States of the European Union.
According to EU procedures, a company wishing to export vaccines from an EU Member State must notify the Member State.
The Member State verifies the criteria for the export and makes a preliminary decision on whether to approve the export.
The European Commissioners then have one working day to approve, modify or reject the decision of the Member State.
The Member State must follow the Commission's decision.
The EU official told CNN that EU member states approved 174 applications for export authorizations for vaccines during the period from January 30 to March 1, 2021.
«Exports referred to the following export destinations: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Japan, Kuwait, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay, ”said the official.
Nicola Ruotolo reported from Rome, James Frater reported from London, and Zamira Rahim wrote in London.
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