Astra Zeneca (AZN) and European Commission (EC) contractual relationship

Germany presses Brussels to prevent exports of vaccines from leaving EU

GUY CHAZAN — BERLIN MICHAEL PEEL AND SAM FLEMING BRUSSELS

Germany is pressing the European Commission to give member states powers to block the export of Covid-19 vaccines produced in the EU as tension mounts over shortfalls in supply.

Jens Spahn, Germany’s health minister, urged Brussels to force companies to obtain permission before shipping jabs from the bloc. His proposal came as Brussels worked on new rules for exports, set to be revealed on Friday, with officials divided over how stringent the regime should be. Germany, which hosts a number of vaccine manufacturing sites, has become the most vocal proponent of tougher export restrictions.

“It’s not about ‘EU first’. It’s about Europe’s fair share,” Mr Spahn said. “That’s why I think it would make sense to have a restriction on exports. It would mean that vaccines that leave the EU need a permit, so that at least we know what’s produced in Europe, what is leaving Europe, where it’s leaving Europe for, and we have a fair distribution.”

However, Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU trade commissioner, said that Brussels did not want to impose curbs on shipments. Instead, he said that companies should provide information about where vaccine supplies are going.

Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, urged the EU not to impose export restrictions of any kind. “The creation of these vaccines has been a wonderful example of multinational co-operation,” he said. “So I don’t want to see restrictions on the supply of PPE, drugs or vaccines or their ingredients across border.”

The EU is struggling to get its vaccine rollout strategy back on track after AstraZeneca informed officials late last week that its production would sharply undershoot expectations. The bloc has fallen behind the US and UK in the pace of vaccinations as it awaits a decision from its medical regulator on whether to approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which could come on Friday.

Amid anger over AstraZeneca’s production shortfalls, Brussels is exploring options, including a temporary regime introduced last March governing exports of personal protective equipment. Such a scheme could stoke accusations that the EU is reneging on commitments to ensure vaccines are distributed equitably around the world.

Additional reporting by Sebastian Payne in London