EU chief Von der Leyen admits to significant vaccine mistakes – 'I deeply regret it' ( Archived) (8)

Jimmy Nsubuga
Wed, 10 February 2021, 12:19 pm

Watch: EU chief admits mistakes were made over vaccine rollout
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The president of the European Commission has admitted “mistakes were made” over the EU’s vaccine rollout, after Brussels threatened to set up a hard border on the island of Ireland to block vaccines from entering the UK.

Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged on Wednesday the bloc had learned lessons after it was widely criticised for invoking Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol on 29 January.

The agreement relates to NI's trading arrangements with the EU and other parts of the UK post-Brexit.

The article overrides part of the NI Protocol that prevents a hard border on the island of Ireland and was intended as an emergency measure not to be used.

The EU backtracked on the decision, but not before it caused massive political fallout in the UK.

"I deeply regret that," von der Leyen told the European Parliament, adding that the commission would do its utmost to protect peace in NI.

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca's announcement it would initially supply 31 million doses of its COVID vaccine to the EU in the first quarter rather than the anticipated 80 million due to production problems set off a fierce dispute.

Officials in Brussels said they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the UK, and wanted some of the vaccines produced in British factories to be diverted to EU member states.

But AstraZeneca's chief executive Pascal Soriot said its contract only committed to meet the EU’s demands to its “best effort”.

He said AstraZeneca and its partner Oxford University had signed a deal with the UK government for 100 million doses three months before the EU deal for 400 million doses was agreed.

Spin on this EU.

Oh come on Blathin, our politicians are no better or worse than anyone else's, you should look at the Scottish government's history of skullduggery, Sturgeon is a prime example of character assassination. And her desperate attempts at resurrecting the dead horse of Scottish independence makes you laugh, don't dilly dally on our politician's faults, look at your own politicians.

Dammit, you had me fooled, not difficult sweetheart, of course, you are right dear.

Isn't that a poxymoron