COVID-19: EU withdraws plan to control coronavirus vaccine exports to Northern Ireland

The EU has backtracked after it moved to override part of the Brexit deal amid an ongoing row over coronavirus vaccine supplies.

Triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU sought to halt vaccines entering the UK with checks at the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

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It was part of the bloc’s efforts to place controls on the export of vaccines due to its row with AstraZeneca over its supply contract.

The EU agreed to buy up to 400 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, but AstraZeneca announced it would have to cut the amount delivered before the end of March due to production delays.

But Brussels has accused AstraZeneca of breaking its contract by not supplying enough vaccine doses.

Britain has faced no such issue, prompting claims it was getting preferential treatment.

However, the dispute is viewed by some critics as an attempt by Brussels to distract attention from its sluggish vaccination rollout as the UK races ahead.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said the supply chain in Europe still had “teething issues” – something which had been ironed out in the UK because the contracts were agreed three months earlier.

So the EU wanted to stop vaccines that are being produced in the bloc from going to outside countries.

It was worried trade arrangements under the Northern Ireland Protocol could be used as a “back door” to get around restrictions and send more supplies of the vaccine to the UK, therefore triggering Article 16 of the protocol.

This is despite Northern Ireland’s jabs being shipped in from the rest of the UK.

The unilateral move to effectively impose a hard border for vaccines without informing Ireland – a member state and key ally – or the UK, sparked near universal condemnation.

Boris Johnson warned Brussels not to disrupt supplies, and a statement from Number 10 said: “The UK has legally-binding agreements with vaccine suppliers and it would not expect the EU, as a friend and ally, to do anything to disrupt the fulfilment of these contracts.”

Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster said the EU bid was an “incredible act of hostility” that placed a “hard border” between the country and the Irish Republic over the vaccine supply chain.

Hours later, the EU clarified it was in fact “not triggering the safeguard clause” and called its earlier decision an “oversight”.

Ms von der Leyen tweeted late on Friday that she had held “constructive talks” with Mr Johnson.

“We agreed on the principle that there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities,” she said.

Regardless of the protocol U-turn, the European Commission said it was setting up controls on vaccine supplies from the EU to outside the bloc. However, it insisted it was not a ban.

“To tackle the current lack of transparency of vaccine exports outside the EU, the commission is putting in place a measure requiring that such exports are subject to an authorisation by member states,” said a statement.

“In the process of finalisation of this measure, the commission will ensure that the Ireland /Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected. The commission is not triggering the safeguard clause.”

It also warned: “Should transits of vaccines and active substances toward third countries be abused to circumvent the effects of the authorisation system, the EU will consider using all the instruments at its disposal.”

French President Emmanuel Macron has backed the move as he raised questions about a lack of doses being delivered.

He said: “It should be controlled because there is questionable behaviour and we will be receiving fewer deliveries that do not honour the contractual engagements agreed.”

Mr Macron has faced criticism for seeking to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca jab in the over-65s while demanding supplies of the vaccine.

His comments have been dismissed as “demand management”.

Over three nights, Sky News will host a series of special programmes examining the UK’s response to the pandemic.

Watch COVID Crisis: Learning the Lessons at 8pm on 9, 10 and 11 February.

(c) Sky News 2021: COVID-19: EU withdraws plan to control coronavirus vaccine exports to Northern Ireland