AZ - EU contract published

[Davros]

Breaking news on BBC

[quote CaraDuneRedux]**@MarshaBradyo* Does this matter to us?*

They can’t seize here / India and if they want to order production in other sites in EU, fine?

Not directly, no. But you can bet the American multinationals with European arms, and thus by extension, the US government will be paying very close attention.

This is the sort of over-reach that can spark incredibly damaging trade wars and send the whole global economy spiralling downwards - spiralling further downwards from a starting position of "fucked due to covid."

Of all the mistakes the EU are making over this, I think this could be the biggest.[/quote]
If they do it it could be dangerous I agree

Even suggesting it and I’m wondering if Pfizer are shifting fast to US now - no idea if they could or how quickly

But US won’t be happy

SecondGentleman thats really interesting. The redaction is frustrating, but it does bring home the huge implications of separate and conflicting clauses in AZ contracts.

I despair at the binary EU/UK stuff, recognise that The EUs invocation of Article 16 is going to muddy the waters betwixt covid and brexit yet again and have everyone frothing at the mouth.

I am more interested in the actual logistics and manoueuvring here.

For everyone applauding various governments negotiating brilliance I fear the only metrics of success will be actual delivery of the actual products, the effectiveness of the products purchased and the vaccination rates. If these are transparent we will begin to see how the world is doing in this global challenge.

Hopefully work being done co-operatively by countries, companies and people across the globe to faciliate the rapid scaling of these production facilities continues apace and is not thwarted by all the political squabbling.

@EerieSilence but they have affected rep of ireland as well massively an eu member

Fucking hell -is Bojo actually going to be on the wireless saying “.. this country is at war” tomorrow tea time. Maybe we should blow up the Chanel tunnel (obviously after all our citizens are safely home).

"The European Council is preparing to invoke emergency powers of Article 122 against AstraZeneca and Big Pharma within days."

"This nuclear option paves the way for the seizure of intellectual property and data, and arguably direct control over the production process"

(The article 122 refers to the Lisbon treaty, not the Brexit treaty).

No further words needed.

It all boils down to they do not have a patent to create priority vaccines contracts. The uks stock of AZ is small fry and would barely make a dent in the vaccination provision of the EU but it highlights the contract you get when you are in the strong position with the patent. Forgetting the anger this is just so sad it come to this.

Yes and all those who "got out as soon as they could" might be regretting it now.

I remember at the time of the referendum my FB feed was full of people 'planning to leave by the end of the year'.

Nearly 5 years on, they still haven't left.

Lots on here were saying no but I think if in 2/3 months most over 60's done and we have opened up a bit and life looks on way up at least , then people could think differently

In 2 or 3 months time, europe will be in the midst of the "kent variant" with deaths many times what they are now.

People won't think differently, they back slap and say "Look how well we have done"
"When we have the u2 's vaccinated, we'll look at it again"

Easy to see how wars start.

@Eeriesilence can you not see the danger in them potentially enacting this though? Do you think that it only affects eu/ uk relationships?
What about ROI are they not an eu member who also should be considered ?

@Dongdingdong

"The European Council is preparing to invoke emergency powers of Article 122 against AstraZeneca and Big Pharma within days."

"This nuclear option paves the way for the seizure of intellectual property and data, and arguably direct control over the production process"

(The article 122 refers to the Lisbon treaty, not the Brexit treaty).

No further words needed.

Who on earth is behind the scenes at the EU advising this!! Has Juncker come out of retirement - it's Batshit

@EerieSilence - hey look up there over there - the point of the thread passing completely over your head....wow, I can't believe you think the EU is behaving in a rational manner.

If it was our government behaving they way they have we'd be marching on Downing Street to get a general election - well via our local MP we'd say we won't vote for you again unless you get rid of this nuts leadership.

However, who do the European countries demand this bunch of incompetents at the Commission be removed? no-one, because they can't.

This is insane politics from the EU, absolutely insane and I'm a leaver of about 25 years standing, I am genuinely shocked to see them expose themselves so openly to the world. Everything we saw they could be capable of is out in the open for all to see. No one on the world stage will trust the EU after this.

Germany are probably the drivers on this. Can you imagine the headlines in Israel or the equivalent of their mumsnet

Expectant and knowing nods, I should imagine.

The Wall Street Journal ran a great editorial about this last night, before the EU went completely bonkers:

The EU blows its rollout and blames a pharmaceutical firm

It's fairly long, so here are the last two paragraphs

Brussels soon will give national governments the power to block millions of vaccine doses from being exported from Europe. Such restrictions will certainly backfire, as other countries retaliate against Europe and complex supply chains fall apart.

Brussels is demonstrating its unique knack for self-foot-shooting by transforming its crisis of vaccine incompetence into deeper economic harm. The EU’s paramount challenge after the pandemic ebbs will be to revive economic growth despite decades of policy mismanagement. Yet nothing says “closed for business” like harassing companies that provide life-saving medical treatments.

***

That's pretty much the consensus on this side of the pond.

@Bluethrough i think vaccine issues won't be as big a deal in 2/3 months and you know we are not doing children
We have taken a gamble doing doses far apart so I am guessing any doses given in eu they have second dose for 3 weeks or whatever where we don't for 10/12.
So will it not look like we have done more to start with , but when its looked at double doses will they be that far behind in a month or two?
Has anyone got figures of what they have actually got so far ?
What else have they approved ?

This is actually what comes into my mind whenever I read shit about the EU acting like a bully, when they actually look at and act solely and only in the interest of their own states.

@EerieSilence their own states like Ireland, you mean? FFS.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup - There is nothing in the AZ contract with EU that would require them to tear up their contract with the UK. AZ appear to be complying with their contract with the EU but the EU want AZ to tear up their contract with the UK.

@EerieSilence
Suddenly they actually invoke articles in their treaties and act hard in the interest of the EU countries and everybody in the UK screams, oh, evil EU, how come they are only looking at the interests of their own
Pity that the EU didn't give ROI a warning that this action was being taken, you know, because the ROI is actually a member of the EU.

@Toptotoeunicolour

Years ago I dared to suggest that the EU would throw Ireland under a bus at a moment's notice. And here we are.

And sadly I think the Irish government didn't realise they were being played over the last 5 years.

The production of the AZ vaccine in Belgium is done under licence. I wonder if they're worried AZ will pull the license because the EU has behaved so appallingly towards them.

Would seizure of IP get round the license issue so they can continue to produce the vaccine without AZ input?

AZ would be wise to start removing all useful documents from any EU production sites.

Suddenly they actually invoke articles in their treaties and act hard in the interest of the EU countries and everybody in the UK screams, oh, evil EU, how come they are only looking at the interests of their own

The ROI is one if their own!!

If the EU moves to steal intellectual data it will become a pariah state. The data belongs to many companies in many different countries including the USA. What the hell are they thinking??

Who on earth is behind the scenes at the EU advising this!!

According to the Telegraph Article it's being driven by the President of the European Council Charles Michel at the behest of member states. He's written to the heads of government of all 27 putting the proposal to them.

The Commission is actually trying to back pedal, having realised they've let the genie out of the bottle and that individual member states' sabre rattling is getting out of control.

Part of what's so scary to me is this sense of collective madness getting out of control with no-one putting the brakes on.

www.theregister.com/2021/01/29/eu_commission_vaccine_contract_redaction_fail/

The EU have shot themselves in the foot with this

AZ would be wise to start removing all useful documents from any EU production sites.

And Pfizer?

I don’t know if they’ll do it but now it’s out there

Have the usa said anything yet? Imagine if this was a couple months ago ,