Coronavirus

Originally Posted by nomadking

Both 5.1 and 5.4 refer to "Best Reasonable Efforts" to manufacture in the EU. 5.4 is labelled "Manufacturing sites" and includes the UK as being included in the definition of an "EU manufacturing site". You can't really have a different definition of "EU manufacturing site" in one paragraph, to the rest of the document.

Except that you can, if the contract explicitly says so. Which it does.

"AstraZeneca shall use its best reasonable efforts to manufacture the vaccine at manufacturing sites within the EU (which, for the purpose of this section 5.4 only shall include the United Kingdom)".

They even helpfully underlined it.

Section 5.4 has nothing to do with allocation of supply, it is about the EU's preference for where AstraZeneca should conduct its operations.

13.1 is where AZ said no other agreement "would impede the complete fulfillment of its obligations under this Agreement;". Supplying the UK and other countries, effectively "impedes" fulfilling the EU order.

Only if the EU agreement gives the EU priority to UK product at the same time as the UK's agreement also gives the UK priority to the UK product. Which it doesn't.

Furthermore, Schedule A still doesn't allocate existing UK manufacturing capacity to the EU. In nominating three UK locations (these can only be the Oxford and Keele 'drug substance' plants and the Wrexham plant where the vials of 'drug product' are filled and packaged) Schedule A acknowledges that AstraZeneca can develop production capacity for the EU there. The fact is, by the time this contract was signed, what was already in existence (or under construction) at those locations was already under obligation to the UK government.

Doubtless the EU will contest that reading of it, but possession is 9/10ths of the law as they say - there is simply no way the British government is going to allow any AstraZeneca product to leave the country unless it can be done without affecting the UK's planned vaccination schedule.

[papa smurf]

It's hard to work out what the EU is fighting here.

A the virus
B the UK

Originally Posted by papa smurf

It's hard to work out what the EU is fighting here.

A the virus
B the UK

Judging by comments given by European Commission officials last night and this morning to various European media outlets, they are presently more interested in (B).

We can't blame them I guess. Brexit Britain was supposed to be an impoverished wasteland by now, languishing at the back of the queue for vaccinations against Covid and ruing the day we failed to join the illustrious EU procurement programme. But we turn out to have been rather better at it than them. The project intended to showcase the power of European unity has instead demonstrated the advantages of a nimble nation state marshalling its own resources. And whatever the short-term destination of vaccines made in the UK, there's no doubt that the massive production capacity taking form in this country is going to be a source of relief all over the world.

I’ve seen continuity Remainer Ultra’s scorn the corrupted EU stance on this.

Originally Posted by Mick

I’ve seen continuity Remainer Ultra’s scorn the corrupted EU stance on this.

I should very much hope so ... they'd be defending the indefensible otherwise. I can't think what the EU believes is the endgame here, unless it's to distract attention from its own incompetence by somehow making it all Britain's fault. Pathetic really.

[heero_yuy]

The shambolic EU compounds its incompetence:

Quote from The Sun Live blog:

THE EU has been dealt another massive vaccine blow after failing to secure a deal for the new Novavax vaccine.

Eurocrats are already under huge pressure over their painfully-slow vaccine roll-out which one German newspaper branded a "perfect advert for Brexit".

And it emerged today that the bloc still hasn't signed any deals for the 90% effective Novavax jab, which the UK secured 60 million doses of back in August and which will be manufactured in Stockton-on-Tees.

They'll probably try and steal ours.

[1andrew1]

AstraZeneca vaccine approved by EMA for all adults

EU drug regulators have announced AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine can be given to all adults in the bloc.

The advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) comes after questions were raised in Germany over how effective the jab, developed with Oxford University, is in protecting older people.

Only 12% of those who took part in the trials were over 55 and they were enrolled later, so there has not been enough time to collate the results.
On Thursday, a draft recommendation from Germany's vaccination advisory committee said the AstraZeneca vaccine should currently only be given to people aged 18-64.
But the EU regulators said in a statement: "There are not yet enough results in older participants (over 55 years old) to provide a figure for how well the vaccine will work in this group.

"However, protection is expected, given that an immune response is seen in this age group and based on experience with other vaccines."

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-...dults-12202449

[papa smurf]

Hungary becomes the first country in the EU to approve a COVID-19 vaccine from China

https://www.euronews.com/2021/01/29/...ine-from-china

---------- Post added at 15:41 ---------- Previous post was at 15:28 ----------

EU vaccine row: Bitter Brussels BANS export of vaccines to UK putting NHS supplies at risk


The European Commission announced new controls on drug makers that want to send doses of Covid jabs abroad. Manufacturers will have to provide detailed information to eurocrats if they plan to sell abroad. Bitter eurocrats refused to include Britain on a 92-strong list of countries that European pharmaceutical firms will still be allowed to ship Covid jabs to.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...vaccine-latest


https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-b...zeneca-pfizer/

At the moment the EU has put controls in place to allow the ban but it doesn't appear they are yet.

We have to retaliate if they do. Pfizer depends on some chemicals produced here for fabrication of the vaccine, that needs to stop. We also stop any other exports around the vaccines.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Damien

At the moment the EU has put controls in place to allow the ban but it doesn't appear they are yet.

We have to retaliate if they do. Pfizer depends on some chemicals produced here for fabrication of the vaccine, that needs to stop. We also stop any other exports around the vaccines.

I would limit any retaliation to the AZ produced vaccine.
I would want the UK Guvmin to be "bigger" than the shit EU Commission and limit the retaliation to the one that gives us the best protection.

I would want to find a reason under national emergency or security reasons for making the embargo explicit to the EU (who are threatening us) whilst making the point by exporting the AZ vaccine in sensible numbers to poorer countries under our various aid schemes.

Above all, I want my Guvmin to stop calling the EU "our friends in Europe". The term "EU" would do. It's gloves off and they have shown themselves up for what they are.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

At the moment the EU has put controls in place to allow the ban but it doesn't appear they are yet.

We have to retaliate if they do. Pfizer depends on some chemicals produced here for fabrication of the vaccine, that needs to stop. We also stop any other exports around the vaccines.

I doubt any country would go through with this but they can't threaten such action unless the EU sanctions it, which it has.

The UK has yet another choice coming soon (if approved, which seems highly likely).

A single-dose coronavirus vaccine developed by Janssen is 66% effective, the Belgian company has announced.

Crucially, no one needed hospital treatment or died from Covid after the jab took effect in the international trial.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said if the jab was approved by the UK's regulator it could "significantly bolster" the vaccine programme.

The UK has ordered 30 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen jab.

[Sephiroth]

Quoted from the APA:

18.4. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of Belgium.

So, the EU is not a sovereign body and we are right not to accord them Ambassadorial diplomatic status!

I noticed that the APA was made with the Swedish AZ entity. I wouldn't be surprised if some EU nastiness occurs here and the Swedish government's reaction will be interesting. Unlike the UK, they can't look after themselves even if they had a production site.

[joglynne]

EU triggers Brexit clause after just 29 days as Commission panics over vaccine chaos
THE European Union has triggered a Brexit clause less than a month after the UK left the bloc as Brussels panics over the coronavirus vaccine chaos.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...aZeneca-supply

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

[COLOR="Blue"]I would limit any retaliation to the AZ produced vaccine.
I would want the UK Guvmin to be "bigger" than the shit EU Commission and limit the retaliation to the one that gives us the best protection.

Nah. If they want to pull the nuclear option so do we.

If they block the Pfizer entirely and even the AZ produced ones as well then we block the stuff they need to make the Pfizer vaccine too. Make it clear we either cooperate for the benefit of all of us or we engage in a tit for tat fight over vaccines in which we're in a better position.

We can then strike individual deals with other European nations if they want.

Of course we only do this if the EU dare to actually stop the shipment of vaccines and until then we cool the temperature if we can. This might just be sabre rattling from the EU which we can largely ignore apart from making it clear we will take action if needed.