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The European Commission failed in a legal application to force AstraZeneca to provide millions of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, or face a hefty fine.
AstraZeneca initially expected to supply up to 300 million doses of the drug to the EU in the first six months of this year, but due to production problems, this forecast was reduced to only 100 million doses. The European Commission hopes that the Brussels judge will order the company to increase this number to 120 million. If there is any deficiency, it will impose a fine of 10 euros per dose per day-the fines can be as high as billions of euros.
However, according to AstraZeneca, the court ordered it to be only 10 million more doses than the doses already sent — a total of 80 million doses delivered by September — and it could be completed ahead of schedule by the end of June.
Both parties claimed to have won this unusual legal battle. AstraZeneca expressed satisfaction with the court order and the committee confirmed its position.
AstraZeneca expressed its expectation to re-cooperate with the committee. Jeffrey Porter, General Counsel of AstraZeneca, said: “AstraZeneca has fully complied with the agreement reached with the European Commission. We will continue to focus on the urgent task of providing effective vaccines. We are providing vaccines without profit to help protect Europe. The people have spread to all parts of the world in the deadliest epidemic in a generation.”
The chairman of the committee, Ursula von der Leyen, also rated the ruling as a victory.
“This decision confirms the committee’s position: AstraZeneca has not fulfilled its commitments made in the contract. It is great to see the independent judge confirm this,” she said
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