EU has triggered article 16 over controls on vaccine exports

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Breaking news on sky
news.sky.com/story/covid-19-eu-introduces-controls-on-vaccine-exports-to-northern-ireland-12202656

@pinktv

well personally i think they are totally right to have done this. i really dont see why people think this is a problem. covid is ultimately a security emergency and emergency measures are imposed all the time.

no idea why AZ thought they could get away with it. I mean fun to watch a pharmaceutical company take on the EU. Very pleased the EU are playing hardball. This isn't anti-British - this is anti-large corporations and personally am really behind them.

So basically you agree with gratuitously stirring things up on an extremely sensitive border in order to 'play hardball' with a company which has produced a highly effective vaccine, suitable for use in low income countries, on a not for profit basis?

EU have just put out a statement saying " the commission is not triggering the safeguard clause".

Seems to be slightly unclear as to whether they did explicitly say they are triggering it and have now retreated, or just floated the idea to see what happened and have now retreated....

And- haven't they now had a grown up discussion and decided to not act?

This is at base a simple matter of contract law. AstraZeneca entered in to one contract with U.K., another with EU and still more with numerous others. EU negotiated it’s contract with AZ and separately and entirely independently U.K. did it’s one. Neither EU nor U.K. has any say in the terms negotiated by the other. If EU didn’t draft in the protections it needed in its contract or isn’t happy with AZ’s performance that’s not on the UK - it’s between AZ and the EU. It’s not UKs fault or responsibility! EU are panicking and lashing out - not a good look and very concerning.
Incidentally U.K. have been very active in Covax and as part of dealings Oxford and AZ to secure international plan and funding to deliver vaccine to countries that would struggle to secure themselves. I really don’t think we have much to apologise for here.

[quote pinktv]@Dongdingdong - I would like large corporations not to assume they are above contract law just because they are large enough.

it is also important to revisit the balance between state power and large corporations power when it comes to public health. Without that the lack of new antibiotics, stage 2 cancer drugs etc will continue to be a major health issue for all of us and probably kill far more people than covid.

The current drug productions system has broken down when it comes to public health provision. It needs revision asap - not only for the West but also the 3rd world. The covid pandemic is as good a time as any to start making these revisions going forth[/quote]
So, not a 'nasty EU' issue, after all.

@IcedPurple - not for profit is v misleading....that's my point. EU, British, American etc citizens have effectively already paid for the vaccine development and will then pay for the vaccines themselves. A lot of the 'profit' in pharma goes on R&D - and that has already been paid for at the initial stages of vaccine development. So yes in the final stages of the cycle it is not for profit - but that is only because of how much cash has already been ingested into all these projects by the countries involved in order to incentivize big pharma to get involved. they ain't doing it for charity.

Also, poorer countries won't benefit frankly because more of the pre-production contracts have already been divvied up between large countries/regional actors. whether or not they will actually get them is as yet unclear - they are definitely not at the moment.

The only thing I don't get forgive me for being dense

The news tells us how many vaccines the UK ordered of each brand.
So why does eu want to see confidentiality contract between az and UK surely we made it clear how much we ordered.

The EU has done no such thing.

@pinktv

well personally i think they are totally right to have done this. i really dont see why people think this is a problem. covid is ultimately a security emergency and emergency measures are imposed all the time.

no idea why AZ thought they could get away with it. I mean fun to watch a pharmaceutical company take on the EU. Very pleased the EU are playing hardball. This isn't anti-British - this is anti-large corporations and personally am really behind them.

You don’t know much about the Good Friday Agreement, and you don’t understand its importance, do you?

OH NO THEY HAVEN'T!

HE'S BEHIND YOU!

It fucking panto season. Vaccine war style.

Firstly, EU is concerned that due to lobbying UK is reciving more vaccines than stated in the contract while UE is receiving non.
Secondly, this protocol was demanded by UK. Funny to be upset about its existence.
Thirdly, it was said loudly and clearly that after Brexit, UK will be a third party. Brexiters very happy about that. That's the treatment third party receives. I don't understand this whining that EU should, even after Brexit, treat UK differently than any other third party.

And yep. Situation is bad, although it's not like NI was in the centre of discussion in 2016.

@Miljea

And- haven't they now had a grown up discussion and decided to not act?

No the Irish went 'what the fuck are you playing at without consulting us as you are supposed to?' to the EU Commission.

the EU is acting to do what it can to keep CV vaccines within the EU, to be administered to EU citizens

The EU has no right to stop vaccines being exported to countries that have a contract in place to receive those vaccines, just because they are manufactured in the EU.
Pfizer is producing vaccines in Belgium for Australia and Canada. Are you cool with the EU blocking those vaccines and taking them for themselves? On what basis? Australia and Canada have paid for those vaccines.

@EvelynBeatrice

This is at base a simple matter of contract law. AstraZeneca entered in to one contract with U.K., another with EU and still more with numerous others. EU negotiated it’s contract with AZ and separately and entirely independently U.K. did it’s one. Neither EU nor U.K. has any say in the terms negotiated by the other. If EU didn’t draft in the protections it needed in its contract or isn’t happy with AZ’s performance that’s not on the UK - it’s between AZ and the EU. It’s not UKs fault or responsibility! EU are panicking and lashing out - not a good look and very concerning. Incidentally U.K. have been very active in Covax and as part of dealings Oxford and AZ to secure international plan and funding to deliver vaccine to countries that would struggle to secure themselves. I really don’t think we have much to apologise for here.

^^This.

@EvelynBeatrice

This is at base a simple matter of contract law. AstraZeneca entered in to one contract with U.K., another with EU and still more with numerous others. EU negotiated it’s contract with AZ and separately and entirely independently U.K. did it’s one. Neither EU nor U.K. has any say in the terms negotiated by the other. If EU didn’t draft in the protections it needed in its contract or isn’t happy with AZ’s performance that’s not on the UK - it’s between AZ and the EU. It’s not UKs fault or responsibility! EU are panicking and lashing out - not a good look and very concerning. Incidentally U.K. have been very active in Covax and as part of dealings Oxford and AZ to secure international plan and funding to deliver vaccine to countries that would struggle to secure themselves. I really don’t think we have much to apologise for here.

Who is asking the UK to apologise?

@Toilettraininghell

Absolutely shocking behaviour by the EU. I don't fully understand the vaccine issue with the EU and astrazeneca but this just seems complete overkill

LMAO

This pretty much sums the response up!

So- the EU is acting to do what it can to keep CV vaccines within the EU, to be administered to EU citizens- is that what I'm reading?

It's almost like the concept of developing, manufacturing with components sourced in different countries and paying for goods has you utterly confused.

I wish this stuff could be discussed with less vitriol. In reality, most of us 'Brexiters' and 'Remainers" had scant poor information to make a decision that we were in no way qualified to make. None of us are in government or Brussels, making any of these decisions. It's ideological.

EU is concerned that due to lobbying UK is reciving more vaccines than stated in the contract

There’s literally no proof of this happening. And the U.K. contract is none of the EU’s concern.

@Ohthatsgreat

Actually, EU can do that and just did it. Exactly like last year when EU stopped export of medicines.

@PatriciaHolm

EU have just put out a statement saying " the commission is not triggering the safeguard clause".

Seems to be slightly unclear as to whether they did explicitly say they are triggering it and have now retreated, or just floated the idea to see what happened and have now retreated....

They wrote it. In their precious new "transparency instrument". They stated they were going to do it.

And then the world went WTAF??? and the EU realised they had made a massive, massive mess of things. Again.

@Miljea

So- the EU is acting to do what it can to keep CV vaccines within the EU, to be administered to EU citizens- is that what I'm reading?

I really understand where the EU is coming from-all countries want to protect their citizens. But it's going the wrong way about it and risks triggering trade wars, full export bans, and the movement of vaccine manufacturing out of the EU, which will affect vaccine production and worsen shortages, not to mention push price up. The Commission is trying to save face (for not moving quicker on contracts,approvals) and it's using the UK and AZ to do it.

@CaptainMarvelDanvers
There are people who know more about law then I do as well as the ins and outs of the financing of research and production within pharma.

Of course it’s a mess- it has been created by humans ( I work with AI and we have the same issues. .).
My point is that I realize there is more beyond what I know and that the facts presented by the media aren’t enough to warrant response such as “bullies” and “the EU finally showing their true colours”. It’s suddenly ‘evil EU even though I voted remain now I regret it”

As far as I understand there is an issue between EU and and a pharma supplier, which may be politically motivated (because where are the vaccines going to?)
The EU may have triggered an article which has been written into the Brexit contract - so unlike AZ it hasn’t acted unlawfully.
People expect the EU to just shrug their shoulders and say “oh ok then. Well get us the rest of the vaccines when you can”.
Now - if this was the other way around, and a German company fell short on delivery, and UK triggered the same article. Well, there would be flag waving and street parties, and a marching band.
And no one would care about the border. And the EU would still be the bad guys. SO- that just goes that the British don’t really care about the border. What I suspect is true, is that people assume, that the UK government has made a deal and there are extra vaccine supplies for the UK, which is what explains the shortage from AZ to the EU block.
Wether that is true or complete and utter fiction isn’t the point. People are protective of gains and are crying victim. Up in arms morally (ha ha we have extra vaccine). Oh how terrible about the border.
BUT if it had been the other way around, the Uk would be morally within its right to evoke that very same article and then that would be ok.
This is what bothers me.

I’m months, maybe years from getting the vaccine. Maybe I’m also bias because I hate when suppliers fuck about and pull shit like this. There should be process in place to prevent the last minute “oh we’re a bit short today” crap. Especially for this

@Joisanofthedales

As someone on another thread said "The EU has gone bonkers". Maybe the commission are all suffering from ergot poisoning because no sane government would do this

Is there a rye related joke I am missing? Why ergot poisoning?

I wasn't pro EU. This behaviour isn't a surprise to me. But it does sadden me. Who on earth wins this particular game of egos?

@EvelynBeatrice

This is at base a simple matter of contract law. AstraZeneca entered in to one contract with U.K., another with EU and still more with numerous others. EU negotiated it’s contract with AZ and separately and entirely independently U.K. did it’s one. Neither EU nor U.K. has any say in the terms negotiated by the other. If EU didn’t draft in the protections it needed in its contract or isn’t happy with AZ’s performance that’s not on the UK - it’s between AZ and the EU. It’s not UKs fault or responsibility! EU are panicking and lashing out - not a good look and very concerning. Incidentally U.K. have been very active in Covax and as part of dealings Oxford and AZ to secure international plan and funding to deliver vaccine to countries that would struggle to secure themselves. I really don’t think we have much to apologise for here.

This is my understanding as well.