On Friday, the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said it was “crystal clear” that AstraZeneca was bound by its contract to deliver coronavirus vaccine doses produced in the UK. https://www.eudebates.tv/debates/eu-policies/business-eu-policies/eu-astrazeneca-logic-can-only-work-at-the-neighbourhood-butchers/ ‘No other choice but to act,’ says Valdis Dombrovskis. The EU today passed a regulation instructing its customs authorities to block all COVID-19 vaccine exports to some 100 countries worldwide, unless they receive an export authorization from national governments in the EU.

"Today, the European Commission has adopted an implementing regulation making the export of certain products subject to an export authorization," trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said at a press conference. "The challenges we now face left us with no other choice but to act."
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Some 92 countries, are exempt from the regulation, Dombrovskis said. An EU official specified these include the EFTA countries of Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland, along with the Western Balkans, North African countries, and other Mediterranean countries such as Lebanon and Israel, as well as poor countries covered by the COVAX facility.

The United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and other rich countries will however not be exempt, the official added.

While the decision to grant or refuse export authorizations will lie with member countries' governments, the European Commission will issue binding opinions, Dombrovskis said.

Crucially, the regulation will also force vaccine makers to disclose which countries they shipped vaccines to in the past three months. "Companies applying for export authorization will also have to provide information on their exports and export destinations, quantities and so on, for the period covering three months prior to entering into force of this regulation, " Dombrovskis said. "So I think this will also help to shed a full light on export tendencies in recent weeks and months."
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Today the Commission has adopted an implementing Regulation making the export of certain products subject to an export authorisation.

So this Regulation concerns the transparency and export of COVID-19 vaccines.

The protection and safety of our citizens is our priority. And the challenges we now face have left us with no other choice but to act.

Vaccines are key to the recovery and to bringing the pandemic under control. And delivering these to our citizens is the most critical task right now.

This is a race against the clock. We cannot lose time because vaccines not being delivered on the agreed schedule.