The European Commission has launched legal action against AstraZeneca

Brussels sues the pharmaceutical company for delays in delivering vaccines. States support the appeal brought by the Commission

(Photo: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images) The European Commission has launched a legal action against the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, for not respecting the contractual terms established with the Union on supplies vaccines. This is what we learn from the words of the spokesman of the Commission Stefan De Keersmaecker, reported by the news agency Associated Press.

"On Friday 23 April - Keersmaecker said at a press conference - the Commission sued the company AstraZeneca, on the basis of some violations of the vaccine purchase contract ". The pharmaceutical company was supposed to deliver 100 million doses by the first quarter of 2021, but in March, deliveries reached just 30 million. AstraZeneca currently expects to be able to deliver around 70 million vaccines by the end of the second quarter of the year, instead of the 300 million set by the contract.

“The company has failed to ensure an adequate strategy to comply delivery times for vaccines. What is important to us at the moment is to ensure a rapid shipment of all the doses promised to European citizens and to which they are entitled on the basis of the contract, ”continued the spokesman. For this reason, the Commission has decided to initiate legal action against AstraZeneca also "on behalf of the 27 member states that are fully aligned in supporting this procedure".

The news had already leaked on Friday 23, following an intervention by the Irish Health Minister in the lower house of parliament, but it was confirmed only today by the Commission. As reported by the Irish Examiner newspaper, Minister Stephen Donnelly had spoken of AstraZeneca's "complete failure to comply with contractual terms", announcing Ireland's support for the legal action launched by the Commission.


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Topics

Europe Vaccines AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine Coronavirus vaccine globalData.fldTopic = "Europe, Vaccines, AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, Coronavirus vaccine"

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