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EU Miracle Workers
In an unprecedented act of political stupidity, the EU Commission managed to produce something that has never before been achieved. In one swift act they united the Irish Government, the DUP and Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland and the UK government.
Faced with a shortfall in the delivery of covid vaccines they started a stoush with Pfizer, insisting that Pfizer supply the EU with supplies of the vaccine in preference to the supplies going to the UK. They even wanted supplies made in the UK to be delivered to EU first, citing contractual obligations as the justification.
In order to prevent supplies from the EU getting into the UK via the back door of the open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, they then invoked article 16 of the treaty between the UK and the EU. This clause, revoking the open border protocol could be used if its use were thought to be causing ‘serious economic, societal or environental difficulties’. Unfortunately, they forgot to mention this to the Irish prime minister and to Boris Johnson.
In an attempt to claim the moral high ground, the EU released copies of the contract between themselves and Pfizer, with certain words and phrases suitably redacted. Unfortunately, this showed that the supply was subject to Pfizer’s “best efforts” as it was a new product and likely to hit issues on its path to delivery. It also enshrined the right of Pfizer to honour prior contractual agreements. Top lawyers in the UK and the EU agreed that the EU could not legally compel Pfizer to deliver to the EU in advance of existing orders to the UK.
Within an hour the EU had revoked the article 16 action after pressure from Ireland, the UK and member states of the EU. One German politician even commented that he could see now why the UK voted for Brexit. The other threats were removed shortly afterwards when, following Boris Johnson’s discussions with the Irish prime minister, he had two terse conversations with Ursula von der Leyen. During these calls he made sure that she knew that she would be publicly blamed for the deaths of thousands of British pensioners and health workers.
What is even more fascinating are the rumours circulating in Whitehall about a clandestine operation to remove vaccines from the Pfizer factory in Europe and airlift into the UK. Now that would have been interesting!!
The fall out continues with the UK successfully achieving continued supply and the EU commission being exposed for the prevaricating, bureaucratic, self-serving bullies that they are. That is the view of some of the 27 members of the EU as well. They are not well pleased with the behaviour of the commission. Their conduct during the Covid saga is now under the microscope and von der Leyen’s own position is under threat. Now that is unusual! The EU commission never sacks anyone.
It transpires that the UK placed orders for vaccines 3 months ahead of the EU, helped in the research to develop the Astra/Zeneca vaccine, and gave support to Oxford University during the research process. In an unusual example of good government planning, they also secured supplies of sufficient vials to match all the production requirements at the same time.
The EU was late in placing orders, late in granting clearance for the vaccines and got bogged down in negotiations over price etc with the suppliers. They acted on behalf of all 27 nations but got bogged down in continuous referring back to each individual nation to get unanimous agreement. In words usually reserved for the Johnson administration, even the Europeans are calling it a complete shambles.
Whilst they are all running for cover, they have also run out of other people and organisations to pin the blame on. What they have done, in an act of complete stupidity, is destroyed the fragile trust that existed between the EU and the UK.
Meanwhile, an academic from Keele University appeared on TV expressing the opinion that the UK was being typically greedy in looking after their own interests to the exclusion of the poorer nations. He stated that they had a moral imperative to supply the vaccine to poorer nations either free or at a discount. Not only would this be good for the poorer nations, it would help in preventing the flow of infection from them to the first world. According to him, the UK had a moral imperative to do this. He never considered that China, as the originator of the virus, should also have a moral imperative to help provide supplies to the developing world. Although being China, if they did that there would be strings attached to the supply!
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