The E.U. And AstraZeneca row.

Urmstomgran
It will be interesting to see how some will try to defend the indefensible ?

Quiet on here isn’t it?
?

I keep wondering how the EU would have reacted if the UK had found themselves in our position. Would they be happy for Astra Zenica to divert supplies from Belgium despite their own contracts? It doesn't seem likely. It hasn't taken long for the wheels to fall off. The EU commission are looking for scapegoats to explain the situation they are in. Having said that a vaccine war is to no one's benefit. Need some cool heads to get through the next few weeks.

Apparently, the WHO are saying that if the EU continue with their proposals it could have international consequences. Time they admitted they made mistakes and start working with all countries. This isn't an EU v UK problem, it is an international crisis

Just heard on the news that the EU do seem to be back-tracking certainly where N I is concerned.

The rule of unintended consequences , I fear, will become clear soon, but too late.for the EU. My concern is that the consequences will be far greater than we can imagine.

And Casdon not just N.I.

Who'd be a Hungarian?
You wonder what Orban is getting out of it. Suddenly he's a vaccine expert.

"Good morning Sir,. Which vaccine would you prefer? We have the Russian or the Chinese".???

dragonfly46

From what Katy Adler in Brussels said tonight the EU are backpedaling because the member states are horrified at what they are threatening to do.

I very much hope this is the case. It is an ugly situation which reflects poorly on the EU as it is hard not to interpret it as “tit for tat.”

I do too Casdon we are singing from the same hymn sheet. I’m delighted Arlene Foster is furious. So she should be.

The EU made the big thing about the GFA and a hard border on the island of Ireland. It’s ironic really that it’s the EU in the stew of their own making.

Far from the UK starting a vaccine war it has actually been very restrained surely? The spat is between the EU and AZ, not the UK. The spitefulness of the EU is on full display this evening concerning Northern Ireland whereby the EU insisted on no border on the island of Ireland yet it has today blocked the movement of vaccines from south to north in contravention of its own rules not even a month old. You couldn't make it up. What a dispicable organistaion the EU is.

Arlene Foster is right to style it a "Hostile Act".

From what Katy Adler in Brussels said tonight the EU are backpedaling because the member states are horrified at what they are threatening to do.

I am afraid that I do not speak EU Inglish. What does "open global value chains." ...erm ..even mean?

P.S. Plain English preferred.

Urmstongran I was looking from the perspective of the ordinary people living in Northern Ireland. They must feel that they have been sold down the river and that nobody cares. I do, and whatever their politics I hope that everybody on here feels the same.

The UK was guided in its vaccine process by Kate Bingham who enabled all the progress www.gov.uk/government/news/a-statement-regarding-kate-bingham-and-the-vaccine-taskforce
I do find it odd that the EU expects us to supply vaccine manufactured in the UK but has threatened to block exports of the Pfizer manufactured in Belgium.

I agree Casdon which is why, as I said earlier, Arlene Foster is so furious.

If I were Boris or the British government I would continue to keep my own counsel. They are being commendably restrained. This behaviour of the EU is not the behaviour of a confident well led organisation. No, this is an ill thought out knee-jerk reaction. This is a really interesting development though.

The EU appears as the unbending, unimaginative, authorative bully boy. Their actions now will poison relations for a generation. People and media commentators are taking another look at the EU. It’s being played out on the world stage. As I say, I wonder what Biden will think tomorrow?

Incredible times, the very warnings that so many of us have been trying to get across to the wider public are now being propagated by the EU itself. Who would have thought it possible?

The EU is now saying it was a simple error that lead to this.

Let’s spare a thought for the people of Northern Ireland, they are in the most awful situation at the moment as a result of both COVID and the impact of Brexit. Regardless of the politics it is wrong that part of the UK is affected so badly and treated as if they are unimportant pawns in the game.

Actually on thinking about it, the EU has triggered a vaccine border between Eire and Norther Ireland.

The border having been created for vaccines it obviously exists for everything else so we can dismantle the NI protocol.

Wonder what Biden will think of it all when he wakes up in the morning? Not a happy bunny I’d bet. I’m glad our government has made no comment. Yet.

Well the woman did send German troops out to train with broom handles because she didn't order enough guns. So it never did bode well really did it?

Perhaps if she hadn't been the only candidate on the ballot paper when the EU parliament elected the Commission president things might have been different. But that's EU 'democracy' for you.

EU showing themselves up for what they are.
Spiteful bullies.
They’re like the bitter ex trying to get their own back.

Not a land border though. This is now a new twist. I think Ursula vdL and the European Commission have made a bad situation worse. They have apparently been contacted by Dublin this evening for triggering the Brexit protocol.

Such a mess.
Stop digging would be my advice.

German politicians and media have turned on Ursula vdL tonight citing her ‘carelessness’ over the Covid fiasco.

This isn’t going to end well for the EU procurement decisions. Holding out for a less expensive ‘good deal’ has cost them dearly it seems and very sadly, not just financially.

Brexit affected the GFA by definition, I'm afraid.

The feisty Arlene Foster has a lot to say on the issue. She’s NOT impressed with the EU’s stance as it blatantly affects the GFA.

This can of worms is getting worse.

From what I’ve heard thus far, and given the fact that Hungary are going it alone vaccine wise, even if we’d been in the EU we could still have dealt with the vaccine roll out in exactly the same way that we are doing. Having said that, the EU are acting very strangely, especially as they weren’t even going to meet to discuss it till after Christmas. It is a relief that the U.K. have finally got something right pandemically (is that a proper word?). I’m sure that it was just the new variants that finally made the government take it seriously.

Casdon definite surplus assuming all are approved. Disappointed to read EU have introduced restriction on vaccines to N Ireland in case it’s used as a ‘back door’ into the rest of the UK.

I think there is something wrong with the information in some posts. The UK is signed up to Covax (financially as well as just a signature).

The government said that the UK was committed to supporting equitable and affordable access to new covid-19 vaccines and treatments around the world. Harris comments, “The UK has publicly acknowledged that if more than one or two of the vaccines that they’ve invested in succeeds, they may be left with oversupply. I know that they have every intention of contributing that supply into an initiative [to supply vaccine to poorer countries].” (1)

I don't like the generally me, me, me politics of this government and its supporters and I am not going all out to praise them for finally doing something well at last, but we must stick to facts or we become no better than Trump or Johnson with their "bending of truths" or lies as we would normally call them.

(1) www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3226