Italy's La Stampa reported that almost 30 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which the Italian authorities found in the warehouse of a vaccine bottling company, could add fuel to the dispute between the EU and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company.

The daily newspaper knows that the vaccines were produced at the AstraZeneca plant in the Netherlands and then transported to Italy, from where the vaccines would probably be exported to Great Britain after packaging - although this information has already been denied in London.

A big debate can also be expected in connection with the proposal of the European Commission, which would tighten the export of vaccines from the Union. The measure may mostly affect the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, because the company is constantly reducing the amount of shipments sent to the Union.

According to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, they may even introduce a vaccine export ban against the United Kingdom, and even ban the export of the raw materials required for the production of AstraZeneca's vaccine.

In the future, the principles of proportionality and reciprocity should be taken into account in all vaccine export applications. In other words: they will look at the epidemiological situation and the vaccination rate in the target country, and it will also be a consideration whether the other country does not hinder the export of vaccines from there to the EU - it was said at the press conference of the European Commission.

"The export licensing process is not directed against any country, but we also have to provide the vaccine to our own population, and we are really lagging behind in this. The EU is currently one of the epicenters of the epidemic, while also being the largest vaccine exporter. Around 10 million doses of vaccine have been exported from the EU to the UK since the first of February, but not a single dose has returned, " said Vladis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission.

Instead of communication tricks, the European Commission should bring in as many vaccines as possible according to the contracts - this is how Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó reacted to the fact that the EU body would tighten the licensing of vaccine exports.

Source: hirado.hu

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