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In todays @Telegraph @CitySamuel write about Brexit and the difference between the purchase of vaccines in the EU and the U.K. Thread 1/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/15/britains-nimble-vaccine-taskforce-puts-eu-bureaucracy-shame/
First point of importance.
All U.K. purchases and approval of vaccines actually happened under EU rules. Until the end of 2020 the U.K. was bound by EU rules and the U.K. was part of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) 2/
All U.K. purchases and approval of vaccines actually happened under EU rules. Until the end of 2020 the U.K. was bound by EU rules and the U.K. was part of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) 2/
The U.K. approved the use of vaccines faster than EU countries. That is because the U.K. used a procedure under the EU-rules that allow for national emergency approval under certain circumstances. EU countries could have done the same but decided not to 3/
The decision not to do emergency approval was a political choice. One of the reasons is the question of liability.
In the case of emergency approval the liability for the product lies with the country allowing the emergency approval. 4/
In the case of emergency approval the liability for the product lies with the country allowing the emergency approval. 4/
When a vaccine is given marketing approval following the normal procedure liability is with the producer.
There are EU rules on that laid down in the EU product liability directive and there are also rulings by the Europan court of Justice on vaccines and liability 5/
There are EU rules on that laid down in the EU product liability directive and there are also rulings by the Europan court of Justice on vaccines and liability 5/
So why did the U.K. conclude an order of the BiONtech/Pfizer vaccine earlier than the EU?
Very few people know. But one reason mentioned during a hearing in the European Parliament this week was BiONtech/Pfizer did not want to accept the liabilty clause in the EU contract 6/
Very few people know. But one reason mentioned during a hearing in the European Parliament this week was BiONtech/Pfizer did not want to accept the liabilty clause in the EU contract 6/
During the hearing EU director general for Health @SandraGallina told members of the European Parliament that the European Commission has insisted on liability clauses in all the advance purchase agreements signed on behalf of the 27 EU countries 7/
Another matter mentioned in the Telegraph article is the question of the Sanofi-GSK vaccine where a "nationalist industrial policy" apparently drove the EU "to waste time on the UK-French alternative developed by Sanofi and GSK." 8/
According to this graph in the Financial Times the EU was not the only buyer of the Sanofi-GSK vaccine. Others who ordered the vaccine was the US, Canada and......the U.K. 9/
So does Brexit matter when it comes to Covid19 vaccination?
Yes it does.
If the U.K. had still been a member of the European Union it would have been politically difficult for the U.K. to break rank and pursue its own vaccine strategy 10/
Yes it does.
If the U.K. had still been a member of the European Union it would have been politically difficult for the U.K. to break rank and pursue its own vaccine strategy 10/
Health policy is a national competence so EU countries were under no legal obligation to purchase Covid19 vaccines as a group. The decision to create an EU vaccine purchase cooperation was a political decision - not a legal obligation. 11/
The decision was taken by EU health ministers in June. 12/
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/annex_to_the_commission_decision_on_approving_the_agreement_with_member_states_on_procuring_covid-19_vaccines_on_behalf_of_the_member_states_and_related_procedures_.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/annex_to_the_commission_decision_on_approving_the_agreement_with_member_states_on_procuring_covid-19_vaccines_on_behalf_of_the_member_states_and_related_procedures_.pdf
The future will bring examples where the U.K. chose a very different path than the 27 EU countries.
But the U.K. purchase of vaccines were done under EU rules and other EU countries could have chosen the same strategy as the UK if they wanted. They chose not to. end/
But the U.K. purchase of vaccines were done under EU rules and other EU countries could have chosen the same strategy as the UK if they wanted. They chose not to. end/
