The EU sues AstraZeneca escalating tensions amid the pandemic
A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Belgrade, Serbia, March 21, 2021.
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The European Union has launched legal action against pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca for failing to comply with the terms of its contract with the 27-nation bloc, in what the EU has described as delays in the delivery of hundreds of millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
AstraZeneca’s contract with the EU pledges the delivery of 300 million doses initially, and an option of a further 100 million. During the first quarter of 2021, the company hoped to deliver 80 million doses, but only 30 million were sent. As a result, the EU alleges AstraZeneca broke the contract, escalating a long-running dispute.
AstraZeneca said the EU’s legal action, which is backed by all member states, was without merit as it pledged to defend itself in court. “We are making progress addressing the technical challenges and our output is improving, but the production cycle of a vaccine is very long, which means these improvements take time to result in increased finished vaccine doses,” AstraZeneca said.
While the legal spat between the EU and AstraZeneca plays out, the company still has not received approval for its coronavirus vaccine in the US, leaving the country sitting on a stockpile of unused doses. Facing weeks of pressure, the Biden administration announced Monday plans to share up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries, after a federal safety review.
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleged in a report on Tuesday that Israel is guilty of the international crimes of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians within its own borders and in the occupied territories. HRW claims the government enforces an overarching policy to “maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians” in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, coupled with “systematic oppression” and “inhumane acts.” Taken together, HRW argues in its 213-page report that it amounts to the crime of apartheid. Israel has adamantly rejected that characterization.
Meanwhile, world powers resumed high-level talks in Vienna on Tuesday in an effort to bring the US back into the nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Delegations from Iran, along with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US, have been meeting in Vienna for several weeks to agree on the steps that would be needed for the US to return to the deal. With no direct talks between the US and Iran, representatives of the five countries shuttle between both sides for negotiations. Iran has rejected direct talks.
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