EU prepares lawsuit against AstraZeneca over vaccine shortages – POLITICO

According to five EU diplomats, the European Commission is preparing to start lawsuits against vaccine maker AstraZeneca.

The Commission raised the issue at a meeting of ambassadors on Wednesday, during which the majority of EU countries said they would support the company being sued over complaints that they could not deliver the promised doses to the bloc. not.

One diplomat has made it clear that the purpose of the lawsuit is to make AstraZeneca mandatory to provide the doses in the EU contract.

Two of the diplomats said there is a deadline later this week, on which EU countries must sign to start legal action.

AstraZeneca fueled EU anger in January when it said it would not be able to offer the number of doses initially expected. By the end of the first quarter, the company had delivered 30 million doses to EU countries, rather than the 100 million doses promised in its EU contract. The shortages have severely hampered vaccination campaigns in EU countries.

The company predicted that it would deliver around 70 million doses by the end of the second quarter of the year, when it would have to deliver the 300 million doses guaranteed in the EU contract.

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