00:00You know that AstraZeneca's vaccine is currently in the final stages of approval with the European Medicines Agency.
00:07If all requirements are met, the European Medicines Agency could recommend market authorization by the end of this week.
00:17But there is a problem in the supply side.
00:21Last Friday, the company, AstraZeneca, surprisingly informed the Commission and the European Union member states
00:29that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than agreed and announced.
00:38This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union.
00:43That is why I wrote a letter to the company at the weekend in which I ask important and serious
00:50questions.
00:52The European Union has pre-financed the development of the vaccine and its production
00:58and wants to see the return.
01:01The European Union wants to know exactly which doses have been produced where by AstraZeneca so far
01:10and if or to whom they have been delivered.
01:15These questions were also discussed today in the Joint Steering Board of the Commission
01:21and the 27 member states with AstraZeneca.
01:25The answers of the company have not been satisfactory so far.
01:31And that's why a second meeting is scheduled for tonight.
01:36The European Union wants the ordered and pre-financed doses to be delivered as soon as possible.
01:43And we want our contract to be fully fulfilled.
01:48In addition, the Commission has today proposed to the 27 member states in the Steering Board
01:55that an export transparency mechanism will be put in place as soon as possible.
02:02The European Union has supported the rapid development and production of several vaccines against COVID-19
02:09with a total of 2.7 billion euro.
02:14We want clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU.
02:23In the future, all companies producing vaccines against COVID-19 in the EU
02:30will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries.
02:39Humanitarian deliveries are, of course, not affected by this.
02:43The European Union will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights.
02:51Thank you.
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