The EU, after opprobium from all sides, has ceased plans to prevent the UK from supplying vaccines to Northern Ireland.
The EU, in a difficult position after taking longer to approve a vaccine for Covid than Britain, was unable to secure guaranteed production capacity from AstraZeneca, this having been taken up by the British government, who approved and ordered the vaccine first. The EU's response was to conduct Police raids of AstraZeneca facilities within the EU and proposals to seize the vaccines the UK government had paid for, as well as requiring the British-Swedish multinational to transfer any vaccine doses produced in the UK to the EU for distribution there. After these proposals were deemed unworkable, the EU instead proposed to effectively hold Northern Ireland to ransom, preventing the UK from supplying vaccine to Northern Ireland until the EU had received it's own requirement. However, after all parties decried this, the EU has relented.
Certainly seems an interesting illustration of the risks of conducting business in the EU.
Bear in mind this came about because AstraZeneca was looking to fulfil it's order book in a first-in, first-out fashion. The EU instead decided to try and legislatively make itself head of the queue - not something in the AstraZeneca contract (AZ state that they wouldn't even offer guaranteed production volumes at this point but instead best-effort, because they couldn't guarantee the EU's required volumes in addition to the UK's requirement) - because of domestic political pressure, and proceeded to do so by bringing state force to bear against corporate facilities in-country.
What about that convinces me that it's a good idea to even trade with the EU, let alone invest enough to have a presence in it? That's giving them a stick to beat you with when things get rough...
The EU, after opprobium from all sides, has ceased plans to prevent the UK from supplying vaccines to Northern Ireland. The EU, in a difficult position after taking longer to approve a vaccine for Covid than Britain, was unable to secure guaranteed production capacity from AstraZeneca, this having been taken up by the British government, who approved and ordered the vaccine first. The EU's response was to conduct Police raids of AstraZeneca facilities within the EU and proposals to seize the vaccines the UK government had paid for, as well as requiring the British-Swedish multinational to transfer any vaccine doses produced in the UK to the EU for distribution there. After these proposals were deemed unworkable, the EU instead proposed to effectively hold Northern Ireland to ransom, preventing the UK from supplying vaccine to Northern Ireland until the EU had received it's own requirement. However, after all parties decried this, the EU has relented.
As if you'd need more proof that the Brussels EU is run by tyrants. The European Commission in particular is an abomination.
Certainly seems an interesting illustration of the risks of conducting business in the EU.
Bear in mind this came about because AstraZeneca was looking to fulfil it's order book in a first-in, first-out fashion. The EU instead decided to try and legislatively make itself head of the queue - not something in the AstraZeneca contract (AZ state that they wouldn't even offer guaranteed production volumes at this point but instead best-effort, because they couldn't guarantee the EU's required volumes in addition to the UK's requirement) - because of domestic political pressure, and proceeded to do so by bringing state force to bear against corporate facilities in-country.
What about that convinces me that it's a good idea to even trade with the EU, let alone invest enough to have a presence in it? That's giving them a stick to beat you with when things get rough...