EU sues AstraZeneca over Covid vaccine delays
The European Union has launched legal action against the coronavirus vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca.
The European Commission - the EU's executive branch - said it had been suing the business for not respecting its vaccine supply contract, and for devoid of a "reliable" plan to ensure timely deliveries.
AstraZeneca said the move was "without merit".
It said it could "strongly defend itself in court".
The legal action marks an increase in a long-running dispute between the two sides over the way to obtain coronavirus vaccines.
Some in the bloc have claimed that AstraZeneca has shown preferential treatment to the united kingdom - but the company has denied this.
Meanwhile, the united states has announced that it'll share up to 60 million doses of its AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries as they become available. The doses should be able to be exported in the coming months after a federal safety review, AP news agency reports.
A European Commission spokesman said the action premiered on Friday, with the backing of all 27 member states.
It is due to a deal the commission signed last August for 300 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, with a choice for 100 million more.
Earlier this year, AstraZeneca said its supplies will be reduced as a result of production problems. Of 80 million doses planned for delivery in the first quarter of 2021, no more than 30 million were sent.
Based on the European Commission, the business is set to supply 70 million doses in the second quarter of 2021 rather than the 180 million which were initially arranged.
"The conditions of the contract, or some terms of the contract, have not been respected," the spokesman said. "We wish to make sure that there surely is a speedy delivery of a enough number of doses... which were promised based on the contract."
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides tweeted that the commission's priority was to "ensure Covid-19 vaccine deliveries take place to protect the health of europe".
"Every vaccine dose counts. Every vaccine dose saves lives," she wrote.
One EU official told Reuters news agency that the move was taken to "send a note" to AstraZeneca's leader Pascal Soriot.
