Is it vaccination envy?
The EU is making serious allegations against the UK and the USA.
London in particular reacts indignantly - and appoints an EU representative.
Brussels / London - The corona crisis is said to be relentlessly uncovering errors and problems in societies.
In the case of relations between the EU and Great Britain, this would probably not have been necessary at all - Brexit has left deep wounds, that is well known.
Now for the second time within a few weeks there has been a violent dispute over vaccines: On Tuesday evening, London even cited an EU representative to the Foreign Ministry.
This was preceded by violent allegations from Brussels across the English Channel - from EU Council President Charles Michel personally.
Evil tongues could suspect a certain “vaccination envy” as the background.
While the United Kingdom has already given 33 percent of its population at least one initial vaccination, this proportion is 6.7 percent in Germany.
On Wednesday, the health ministers of the federal states wanted to find a solution.
For the time being, however, the EU is demanding further insight into the UK's vaccination policy.
Also in the person of the prominent CSU politician Manfred Weber.
Corona: vaccination scandal between the EU and Great Britain - Weber asks probing questions: "How many vaccinations ...?"
The leader of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament attacked the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab on Wednesday morning.
Raab should stop teaching the European Union, wrote CSU Vice Weber on Twitter on Wednesday.
Instead, he should disclose how much vaccine Britain has exported to Europe and other regions.
In the past few months, eight million Biontech / Pfizer vaccinations went to Great Britain.
"How many vaccinations have you sent to Europe?"
Statements by EU Council President Charles Michel about an alleged UK ban on vaccine exports had previously rekindled the vaccine dispute between Brussels and London.
The scandal had already broken out at the beginning of February.
At that time, Brussels was thinking about using the “nuclear option” in the Brexit treaty to control vaccine shipments - Prime Minister Boris Johnson intervened by calling late in the evening.
Britain indignantly dismissed Michel's claim on Tuesday evening.
"The British government has not even blocked the export of a single Covid-19 vaccine," said a Downing Street spokesman.
All references to a British export ban or any restrictions on vaccines are completely wrong.
In addition, Raab wrote to the EU Council chief in a letter.
As the agencies dpa and PA reported, the British government also appointed an EU representative to the Foreign Office.
Vaccine dispute: EU under pressure - Michel sees “downright ban” from Great Britain and the USA
Michel had previously defended the EU Commission's vaccine procurement program in his newsletter.
Claims that the EU practices vaccination nationalism are shocking, he wrote.
For example, most of the vaccine administered in Israel comes from Belgium.
The EU never stopped exporting.
It is different in the USA and Great Britain.
"The United Kingdom and the United States have put an outright ban on the export of vaccines or vaccine components produced in their territory," wrote Michel in his newsletter on Tuesday evening.
Later he even added more.
He suggested that Britain had stopped exports indirectly.
"Glad if the UK response leads to more transparency and increased exports to the EU and third countries," he wrote on Twitter, adding, "(There are) different ways to introduce bans or restrictions on vaccines / drugs."
Corona vaccinations: Astrazeneca in its sights - EU receives criticism for stopping exports to Australia
London recently criticized Brussels for halting delivery of Astrazeneca vaccine to the Commonwealth of Australia.
The EU introduced an export control mechanism after the Anglo-Swedish company cut its delivery commitment significantly.
Great Britain is not affected by Astrazeneca's delivery problems.
The EU is under increasing pressure because of its sluggish vaccination campaign and blames Astrazeneca, among others, for this.
The manufacturer admitted production problems in the EU, but defended itself against the accusation of deliberately supplying Great Britain and other non-EU countries with unreduced quantities.
According to managing director Pascal Soriot, London stipulated in his contract with Astrazeneca that the factories on British soil would initially only be allowed to produce for the British market.
But that seems to contradict the deal with Brussels.
(
fn / dpa / AFP
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