The European Commission is preparing legal action against AstraZeneca after it failed to meet vaccine delivery obligations, multiple outlets reported on Thursday.
The goal of the action is to force the pharmaceutical giant to deliver the vaccines it promised, Reuters and Politico reported, citing diplomats and European Union officials.
“EU states have to decide if they participate. It is about fulfillment of deliveries by the end of the second quarter,” Reuters quoted an unnamed EU official as saying.
AstraZeneca slashed its deliveries to the bloc by two-thirds as it was hampered by manufacturing issues and delivery obligations in other countries.
The EU has repeatedly clashed with the British-Swedish firm in recent months, and has moved towards other manufacturers. The bloc recently decided not to excersise its options for another 300 million doses from AstraZeneca, amid evidence of very rare blood clot side effects.
The EU is increasingly aligning itself with the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, which has exceeded delivery targets and enjoys the confidence of vaccine recipients.
Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said last week that BioNTech-Pfizer “has proven to be a reliable partner. It has delivered on its commitments, and it is responsive to our needs. This is to the immediate benefit of EU citizens.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more details become available.
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-prepares-legal-action-against-astrazeneca-reports/a-57283383?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf