AZ - EU contract published

[Davros]

Breaking news on BBC

The other aspect not getting a mention is that this is the first big test of the EMA post relocation out of the UK. Perhaps it did matter where they were after all. It turns out the UK may have been fronting with their expertise for the whole of the EU rather than playing host to a group of equals?

@marbellamarc not sure if we should stay quiet now , surely they can tell exactly what was sent to who and when already , export paperwork would show that.
Why is it the uk's fault, AZ are running the contract not the uk itself , and its not a wholly owned uk company either ? This is what I don't get , why are they blaming the uk , we didn't sign their contract or breach it ?

Floppy start to wonder if the EU is viewed as "the annoying friend" of your DP you have to put up with but now the UK has reset the parameters ...

@mumwon

EU introduces controls exports of covid vaccines BBC

Please can someone explain what this defiantly means and what it might mean.

Is this just a tactic or are they definitely going to stop us having our Pfizer vaccines?

Also isn’t it supposedly a row between a company (AZ) and their client (EU).

Why are they then trying to punish another client (UK)
and trying to stop another company (Pfizer) from being able to fulfil its contract with its client (UK)

Why would ANY company want to risk being based in the EU if they can randomly stop them doing business?

Where was EU solidarity when Germany blocked exports of the masks it was stockpiling towards Italy, at a time when Italy was dying on its feet and Germany had minimal cases?

@itsgettingweird I always find if you keep things simple you get to the crux of the matter😁.

Well I’ve posted here many times about the reasons to leave the EU the different legal systems, common v civil law, (our common law being vastly superior) the size of the EU meaning it’s slow to react to things, the different economic, social, political view points of the member states making it difficult to agree on anything. The lack of accountability. The fact it’s basically run by France and Germany who fundamentally dislike the British having spent much of the last 2000 years either arguing with us, trying to annexe us or just warring with us (or at least their historical constituent parts have) meaning they would try and fuck us over at the slightest provocation. And here we are!

Surely this is a contractual matter with a private company. But apparently assets secured by the U.K. government are still to be handed over to Brussels?

"Solidarity is an important principle of the EU. With Brexit, it's clear that the UK doesn't want to show solidarity with anyone."

maybe because we're not in the EU?

I've just read that the EMA has approved the AZ vaccine. If it's not administered to people 65 and older as Germany is recommending it's not going to do that much to lower the burden on hospitals and the mortality rate.

They were fools to put most of their eggs in one basket.

Where was Germany's solidarity when they stopped exporting PPE?

Wait a minute, AZ is an Anglo and Swedish company.

What are the swedish media saying about this?

@marbellamarc

What is really pissing me off is the language they are using.

"Solidarity is an important principle of the EU. With Brexit, it's clear that the UK doesn't want to show solidarity with anyone."

I'm not a fan of our gov but think staying quiet is the best approach.

That quote makes it rather clear that they haven't got their heads round the fact that we left...

Totally agree, a dignified silence is the approach the UK should take. Plus signing up to the WHO's COVAX programme www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax to make sure that any vaccines surplus to requirements after we've vaccinated our population get shared fairly round the world, not simply handed over to the (already rich) countries making the biggest noise.

Why is it the uk's fault, AZ are running the contract not the uk itself , and its not a wholly owned uk company either ? This is what I don't get , why are they blaming the uk , we didn't sign their contract or breach it ?

I don't get it either. We just acted faster.

Agree this is all about positioning to the home market, and I'm utterly appalled that they could give this level of a public bashing to a company that is offering the vaccine most likely to rid the world of the pandemic.

All in a desperate bid to cover up their own incompetence. Shameful, but I'm sadly not surprised.
The only silver lining is that it's now clear to everyone why we left and I don't need to defend "nimble governance" or "closer accountability" ever again.

@Toptotoeunicolour

Agree this is all about positioning to the home market, and I'm utterly appalled that they could give this level of a public bashing to a company that is offering the vaccine most likely to rid the world of the pandemic. All in a desperate bid to cover up their own incompetence. Shameful, but I'm sadly not surprised. The only silver lining is that it's now clear to everyone why we left and I don't need to defend "nimble governance" or "closer accountability" ever again.

Ha pretty much

I assume they'll keep hold of Pfizer jabs to give to over 65s, instead of exporting them to the UK.

Presumably we'll retaliate by imposing export controls on the AZ vaccines made here?

@marbellamarc I can’t believe they are so angry with the UK over this, what have we done wrong here? Surely this should all of been done between AZ and EU behind closed doors, compromise should have been made and yes one our vulnerable have been vaccinated we should give some of our order to the EU for good will, the EU are taking this far to far, this could’ve been handled so much better

@Hmmph thats what I want to know, if its purely making sure orders are going out correctly and say uk has been promised 100 doses, canada 100 and eu 200
That thats what is sent not uk 150 canada 150 eu 100. Then thats fine
If its we are short so canada and uk now get 50 each and we get 300 then thats different .
Surely they wouldn't be able to make another company break its contract and I though az on eu was all for eu doses ?? Can someone clarify

Germany also tried to secure vaccines just for themselves. #solidarity.

The only report I can find so far about the export ban talks about there being an exemption list of 92 countries and the UK isn't on it.....

But we need a better source I think.

IF it's a reliable source I think there's absolutely no doubt now that this vitriol is all aimed at the UK.

@CrotchBurn

Where was EU solidarity when Germany blocked exports of the masks it was stockpiling towards Italy, at a time when Italy was dying on its feet and Germany had minimal cases?

Well obviously that was fine. Germany runs the EU and tells it what to do with the occasional interjection of France.

@Ihatefish

So in summary, the French failed, Germany are demanding stuff they’re not entitled to and everyone’s looking at the U.K. to provide assets to save the day!

Very droll

Yes their logic that AZ are breaching their contact so therefore must break other contracts to honour theirs is nonsense.

@nevertrustaherdofcows we don't have to be in the uk to show solidarity against a virus , we can show solidarity to any country and vice versa if same principles or agree in same goal etc

[quote Baileysforchristmas]@marbellamarc I can’t believe they are so angry with the UK over this, what have we done wrong here? Surely this should all of been done between AZ and EU behind closed doors, compromise should have been made and yes one our vulnerable have been vaccinated we should give some of our order to the EU for good will, the EU are taking this far to far, this could’ve been handled so much better[/quote]
This would be a perfect analysis Baileys if this was all about rational sorting out of a problem in the supply chain that's arisen.

But it's not really about that at all. It's about the Commission trying to cover up its monumental cock-up in vaccine procurement against a backdrop of riots in the Netherlands, anti-vaxx sentiment in France, German tabloid scaremongering, the Hungarians doing deals on the side with Putin's Russia.

It's political posturing.

I feel very sorry for Astra Zeneca.

The reason why the U.K. is involved is that U.K. contracts have a clause stating that U.K. production first meets the quantities ordered by the U.K. before any is exported. The EU contracts did not. It now looks like the EU is trying to insert that retrospectively through an export ban. Not a good look to do it retrospectively, but brings the EU into line with the US (which imposed a similar ban in December) and the U.K. (which made this as a contractual commitment).