EU extends powers to block Covid-19 jab exports until June

The European Union has extended powers that allow it to block exports of coronavirus vaccines until at least June as its jab drive fails to gather pace.  

The laws were rushed into force in January amid an almighty row between the EU and AstraZeneca, which saw Eurocrats accuse the drug-maker of sending doses meant for the continent to Britain.

Since then the rules have been used just once, to block a shipment of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccines going from Italy to Australia, but EU vaccine tsar Thierry Breton has hailed their effectiveness as a deterrent. 

As a result the EU has been forced to deny allegations of ‘vaccine nationalism’, with Council President Charles Michel attempting to flip the script and yesterday accusing the UK of putting ‘an outright ban’ on exports instead.

The remark sparked fury in London as Boris Johnson denied that a single dose had been blocked, after which an EU spokesman admitted that no such ban existed.

The EU has extended laws that allow it to block vaccines being exported from member states to foreign countries until at least June to boost its vaccine drive, which is well behind the UK

Mr Michel refused to apologise, however, instead qualifying his initial statement to say instead that there are ‘different ways of imposing bans or restrictions’. 

The EU is presiding over one of the world’s slowest vaccination campaigns, and has given at least one dose to just seven per cent of its population so far.

Meanwhile the UK has given at least one dose to 33 per cent of the population.

Britain is also injecting people much faster, at a rate of 0.52 per hundred per day, almost double the European average of 0.25 per hundred.

EU red tape, supply bottlenecks and scaremongering around AstraZeneca’s vaccine have all been blamed as thee cause.

In the latest development, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia all suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday to examine a possible link to blood clots after and Austrian woman died.

That is despite Europe’s medical regulator saying that there is no evidence of a link between the vaccine and blood clots.

It is not the first time European nations have defied their own regulator over the jab. 

Europe has administered at least one dose of vaccine to just seven per cent of its population compared to 33 per cent in the UK after supply issues and red tape left the EU short on jabs

Europe has administered at least one dose of vaccine to just seven per cent of its population compared to 33 per cent in the UK after supply issues and red tape left the EU short on jabs

Last month several countries – Austria and Denmark among them – restricted use of the vaccine to over-65s despite regulators saying it was safe for all age groups.

Speaking about export controls, EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said: ‘Since the measure was introduced, shipments were authorised to more than 30 countries.’ 

‘This confirms that even during a very critical health situation, the EU has made a considerable effort to be a reliable and responsible trading partner.’

The World Health Organization has criticised measures restricting vaccine exports and warned against ‘vaccine nationalism’ undermining global efforts to defeat the pandemic.

Figures related to the export monitoring scheme, shared with EU diplomats and seen by AFP, reveal that 34 million doses of vaccines produced in the EU were exported to countries outside the bloc between February 1 and March 9.

This includes 9.1 million to Britain – more than a third of the total doses administered in that country so far.

Brussels has accused London of operating a de facto export ban, a claim furiously denied by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

EU officials are in a dispute with UK-based AstraZeneca over the supply shortfall, which has undermined the bloc members’ huge collective vaccine purchasing effort.

Charles Michel, head of the EU council, denied this week that the block amounted to 'vaccine nationalism' by pointing the finger of blame at Britain - before being forced to backtrack

Charles Michel, head of the EU council, denied this week that the block amounted to ‘vaccine nationalism’ by pointing the finger of blame at Britain – before being forced to backtrack

The EU contract with the company specifies that doses are to come from factories in both the EU and the UK, but so far the British plants have exclusively focused on the British contract.

‘The EU exports very significant volumes of Covid-19 vaccines, true to our commitment to global solidarity,’ Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said.

‘Yet not all companies are honouring their agreements with the EU despite having received a down-payment to enable sufficient production,’ she said.

‘We will insist that compliance is ensured and we will continue to work with companies to ramp up production in Europe as quickly as possible.’

The European Commission has not ruled out launching legal action and there have been calls in some capitals for an EU export ban.

But so far the only concrete action was last week’s decision to block the shipment of 250,000 AstraZeneca doses to Australia.