Kurz’s feedback denied by EU spokesman, who downplayed the claims of backroom offers.
Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday instructed that some European international locations might have signed “secret contracts” with vaccine firms to obtain extra vaccines than they have been entitled to primarily based on the European Union guidelines.
EU members have agreed that vaccines must be distributed amongst international locations primarily based on inhabitants measurement, however Kurz stated after evaluating whole procurement between member states, it grew to become clear that “deliveries don’t observe the per capita quota system”.
“There are clues that time to so-called bazaars the place further agreements between member states and pharmaceutical firms have been made,” Kurz stated.
“Malta will obtain 3 times as many doses per capita as Bulgaria till the top of July,” he stated.
“The Netherlands wouldn’t solely obtain extra doses of vaccine per capita till the top of June than Germany, however virtually twice as many as Croatia,” Kurz stated.
“That is in clear contradiction to the political targets of the EU,” he stated.
However an EU spokesman downplayed the claims of backroom offers.
“Member states might resolve to ask much less or extra of a given vaccine, and that is mentioned between the member states,” Stefan de Keersmaecker stated.
“It’s attainable on this context, following the end result of the discussions between the member states, {that a} new distribution key’s agreed upon with the corporate,” he stated.
The EU has come beneath hearth for its sluggish vaccine rollout, which it has blamed on provide and supply issues.
European nations lag behind the US, Israel and the UK when it comes to the proportion of the inhabitants that has already obtained no less than one dose.
