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The European Commission has lost a legal offer to force AstraZeneca to administer millions more doses of its Covid-19 vaccines or face significant fines.
AstraZeneca was expected to supply up to 300 million doses to the EU during the first six months of this year, but that forecast was reduced to just 100 million after production problems. The Commission wanted a judge in Brussels to order the company to raise this figure to 120 million, with a penalty of € 10 per dose per day for any deficit, which could have reached billions of euros.
But, according to AstraZeneca, the court ordered him to deliver only 10 million more doses than he has already sent (a total of 80 million, in September), which he can complete earlier than planned in late June.
Both sides won the unusual legal battle, AstraZeneca said it was satisfied with the court order and the Commission confirmed its position.
AstraZeneca said it hoped to renew collaboration with the Commission. Jeffrey Pott, AstraZeneca’s general counsel, said: “AstraZeneca has fully fulfilled its agreement with the European Commission and we will continue to focus on the urgent task of delivering an effective vaccine, which we are delivering without any benefit to help protect people in Europe and around the world since the deadliest pandemic of a generation ”.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also declared the verdict a victory.
“This decision confirms the Commission’s position: AstraZeneca did not live up to the commitments made in the contract. It is good to see an independent judge confirm this,” he said.
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