Earlier, Brussels introduced export controls on COVID-19 vaccines, affecting countries like the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, while temporarily overriding Brexit deal terms enabling goods to flow across the Northern Irish border, only to swiftly backtrack on what was branded by Northern Ireland as an “incredible act of hostility.”
After a frenzied rush to introduce controls to ostensibly stop vaccine exports from reaching the UK through Northern Ireland, and then backpedaling on the move in the wake of widespread censure, the EU has been denounced by politicians in London, Dublin, and Belfast for mulling over an “incredible act of hostility.”
The remarks came amid what has already been dubbed a “vaccine war” between the UK and what ex-Brexit minister David Jones called a “Mafia-like” EU.
Simon Stevens (R), Chief Executive of the NHS, watches as a nurse (C) administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to Frank Naderer (L), 82, at Guy’s Hospital in London on 8 December 2020 as the UK starts its biggest ever vaccination programme.
Brussels had blindsided politicians by seeking to temporarily suspend part of the Brexit deal to create a hard border on Ireland.
EU sources have reportedly admitted that invoking Article 16 of the Brexit deal was a “misjudgment,” and the European Commission U-turned on the move, saying that it will ensure the Northern Ireland Protocol is “unaffected.”
Playing Politics with People’s Lives’
Nevertheless, as Brussels finds itself under fire over the slow delivery of vaccines to the 27 member-states, with questions raised about European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s management, the bloc has a new export ban in place to stop companies from sending jabs across the channel to the UK.
The move could block the arrival of 3.5 million jabs ordered from Pfizer BioNTech in Belgium – ex-Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith called the move “almost Trumpian.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced the decision, which meant the bloc overrode part of the Brexit deal to create a hard border in Ireland. A Downing Street spokesperson said this:
Arlene Foster, first minister of Northern Ireland, branded the EU move an “incredible act of hostility” and accused Brussels of “playing politics with people’s lives.”
The Republic of Ireland’s Premier Micheal Martin also reached out to von der Leyen to “express concerns” about the plan.
Despite their reversal of the decision to suspend the Brexit deal provision, the European Commission announced:
The EU promised to “consider using all the instruments at its disposal” if vaccine transits violate the bloc’s authorisation system. The new rule comes into force on Saturday and will last until March.
Vaccine makers will be required to disclose all shipments sent abroad over the last three months.
Vaccine ‘War’
The vaccine row with the UK erupted earlier in the week when Brussels claimed the country was “hijacking” doses.
Amid setbacks to its coronavirus inoculation plans due to production glitches plaguing two vaccines, and a shortfall in deliveries from AstraZeneca, tempers flared as Britain was seen to be outpacing the bloc in inoculation rates.
The AstraZeneca office building in Brussels
After AstraZeneca revealed last week a looming shortfall in deliveries, anticipated to be around 60 percent in the first quarter of 2021, von der Leyen accused the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical giant of misrepresenting its contract with the bloc.
Three of the European Union’s jab suppliers, Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca have failed to live up to promises, causing rollout setbacks in several of the bloc’s member states.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has urged co-operation between Brussels and the UK over the supply of vaccines across Europe.
Amid the developments, a No 10 spokesman said:
Sourse: sputniknews.com
