Britain denies ‘false’ EU claims as Covid vaccine dispute boils over

LONDON — The European Union and the UK have clashed over the export of coronavirus vaccines, with Britain fiercely denying it has blocked any shipments to different nations.

The newest battle emerged after European Council President Charles Michel accused the U.Ok. on Tuesday of getting an “outright ban” on exports of Covid-19 vaccines.

He mentioned in a publication that he was “shocked” when listening to accusations of vaccine nationalism towards the EU when different elements of the world, such because the U.Ok. and the U.S., “have imposed outright bans” on these vaccines.

This was not the primary time that European officers have made feedback on this topic. European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned throughout a press convention in February that the USA and Britain have methods in place that block vaccine exports.

Nevertheless, the British authorities was fast to disclaim the accusations on Tuesday. “The U.Ok. authorities has not blocked the exports of a single Covid-19 vaccine. Any references to a U.Ok. export ban or any restrictions on vaccines are utterly false,” a authorities spokesperson informed CNBC.

The EU didn’t wait lengthy to answer. Michel, who chairs the conferences between the 27 EU heads of state, mentioned on Twitter that there are “alternative ways of imposing bans or restrictions on vaccines/medicines.”

“Glad if the U.Ok. response results in extra transparency and elevated exports,” he added.

The U.Ok.’s International Secretary Dominic Raab can have discussions with EU officers on Wednesday to make clear the state of affairs.

Considerations over vaccine nationalism — the concept a rustic or area is doing its utmost to make sure it has Covid-19 vaccines for its personal inhabitants even when that is to the detriment of different elements of the world — emerged in late January.

The European Union, which has confronted numerous points over its vaccine rollout, legislated on the time that member states can cease exports of Covid vaccines that had been produced within the bloc. However this could solely be utilized in two cases: If a pharmaceutical agency isn’t fulfilling the contracts it has with the EU and if the jabs are going to international locations thought-about non-vulnerable. Low and middle-income nations, in addition to neighboring international locations, are exempted from these restrictions.

These restrictions had been used for the primary time final week when Italy stopped a cargo of AstraZeneca jabs from going to Australia.

Nevertheless, the EU has mentioned that it has not blocked any exports of vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, provided that these companies have up to now revered their commitments with the EU.

“I’ve lengthy argued that the post-Brexit U.Ok.-EU relationship could be tough, however even I am stunned how far and quick it has sunk,” Mujtaba Rahman, managing director at Eurasia Group, mentioned Wednesday through Twitter.

In parallel, the EU and the U.Ok. are additionally at odds over their post-Brexit preparations.

The U.Ok. introduced it was extending the grace durations on Irish Sea border checks — a dedication made to the EU throughout the negotiations to go away the bloc and which ought to have been accomplished by the top of March. Westminster has now given U.Ok. companies till October to arrange for brand new customized checks.

The EU has complained this transfer was not mentioned with them upfront and is now getting ready authorized motion towards the U.Ok. authorities.