La European Commission causes to AstraZeneca for the continuous delays in the deliveries of vaccines which have forced several countries - including Italy - to slow down the immunization campaigns. The news was released by the spokesman of the community executive, with the specification that the start of the legal procedure started on Friday "on behalf of the 27 Member States".
There are actually two reasons for the lawsuit: "Some terms of the contract for the delivery of the vaccine doses have not been respected", furthermore "the company has not been able to ensure a credible strategy to proceed with the delivery of the doses in the expected times”, explains the Commission.
The numbers are merciless. According to the contract signed with Brussels, AstraZeneca had committed to deliver a total of 300 million doses of vaccine to the European Union between December 2020 and June 2021. However, by the end of March only 30 of the 120 million doses expected had been delivered and by the end of June, the pharmaceutical company expects to deliver only 70 of the remaining 180 million.
AstraZeneca replies with a note in which it is known that he "regrets the decision of the European Commission to take legal action for the supply of vaccines against Covid-19. After an unprecedented year of scientific breakthroughs, highly complex negotiations and manufacturing challenges, our company is on track to deliver nearly 50 million doses to European countries by the end of April, in line with our forecasts. AstraZeneca has fully complied with the purchase agreement with the European Commission and will defend itself strongly in court. We consider any dispute to be without merit, and we welcome this opportunity to resolve this dispute as soon as possible."
