- By James Kravitz
- (General Dispatch) – The UK government warned that if the European Union enforces measures to block the export of vaccines it will act reciprocally, blocking the raw material for their manufacture.
- EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen issued a statement over the weekend threatening to block 19 million doses from Oxford-AstraZeneca to Britain and the US.
- Ursula warned that she would take these measures after the bloc has had difficulty immunizing all 27 EU countries, and argues that the drug makers are not complying with contractual agreements.
- The European Commission has had problems with the AstraZeneca vaccine as it has sent more doses to the UK, which is leading through its immunization campaign.
- A senior UK official responded to Ursula’s statement, and warned that if they apply the blocking measure, the European Union will find itself in a more complex situation than it faces.
- Defense Secretary Ben Wallace “if contracts are broken and commitments are broken, it’s a very damaging thing for a trading bloc that prides itself on the rule of law, prides itself on honoring contracts … and I think the Commission knows in the background that the world is watching what’s going on. And it’s also counterproductive because the only thing we know about vaccine production and manufacturing is that it’s collaborative.”
- The European Union is acting in the wrong way according to Wallace; this kind of attitude resembles those authoritarian nations that intervene companies, in order to get out of a desperate situation.
- The mistake was made by the bloc from the moment it took so long to make the contracts, and now they are paying the consequences.
Adittional Information:
Breitbart: Vax Wars: UK Will Have ‘No Choice’ But to Block Vaccine Exports if EU Halts Deliveries to Britain
CNBC: UK and EU vaccine dispute deepens as Brussels considers new export controls
