EU Threatens to Cut Export of Vaccines amid row with AstraZeneca on Shortage of Supplies

European Union called for tight controls on coronavirus vaccine exports after top officials  accused U.K.-based AstraZeneca of cutting supplies intended for EU countries in order to sell doses to other nations at higher prices.

The move came after two contentious vaccine steering board meetings between EU and national officials and representatives of the British-Swedish pharmaceutical conglomerate, which informed Brussels on Friday that vaccine production would fall far short of its contractual obligations to the EU.

Furious EU officials said the company had failed to explain the situation.

"Discussions with @AstraZeneca today resulted in dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity and insufficient explanations," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides tweeted after the second meeting attended shortly before 10 p.m. "EU Member States are united: vaccine developers have societal and contractual responsibilities they need to uphold."

She announced that another meeting will take place Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Kyriakides announced the plans for the next export controls, while making clear the Commission's suspicions that AstraZeneca had shipped vaccine elsewhere.

"The European Union wants to know exactly which doses have been produced by AstraZeneca and where exactly so far and if or to whom they have been delivered," Kyriakides said, adding that the Commission's proposed export mechanism would require any company to disclose in advance any intended international shipments of vaccine doses manufactured in the EU.

A Commission official said the proposal for a new export control would require companies to seek approval before shipping vaccines internationally, except for humanitarian reasons. The restriction would be similar...