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The head of the European Commission threatened Brexit Britain on Wednesday with an halt on vaccine exports, claiming the UK has failed to reciprocate the bloc’s generosity. But the European Union relies on ingredients produced in Britain for its own production of jabs, something Wolfgang Munchau, Director of Eurointelligence, claimed could cause von der Leyen’s threat to backfire. <\/p>\n
Mr Wolfgang said: “It appears von der Leyen did not consider supply chain shortages likely to arise for EU vaccine producers in the event of an export ban to UK.<\/p>\n
“Looks like another Art 16 episode.”<\/p>\n
President von der Leyen said she wanted “reciprocity and proportionality” in exports, pointing out that 10 million doses of vaccine had gone from the EU to the UK.<\/p>\n
Although Pfizer jabs were crossing the English Channel to the UK, AstraZeneca vaccines are not heading the other way, she indicated.<\/p>\n
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the supply of vaccines to the UK from EU production facilities was “fulfilling contractual responsibilities and we fully expect those contracts to be delivered on”.<\/p>\n
He said the UK had funded research into the Oxford\/AstraZeneca vaccine and had a contract for the first 100 million doses for people in the UK.<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused the EU of “brinkmanship” over Ms von der Leyen’s stance.<\/p>\n