EU publishes redacted AstraZeneca vaccine contract amid row

The European Commission has published a redacted version of its contract with drugs giant AstraZeneca, in an attempt to prove the company had breached a commitment on coronavirus vaccine deliveries.

Releasing the document on Friday, EU spokesman Eric Mamer said it would show that the contract covers AstraZeneca plants in the UK and that "these plants will contribute to the effort... to deliver doses to the European Union".

The contract was signed on August 27 and the published version contains redacted parts related to some confidential information such as invoices.

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"The Commission welcomes the company's commitment towards more transparency in its participation in the rollout of the EU Vaccines Strategy," the EU executive said in its statement.

AstraZeneca and the EU had signed a deal for up to 400 million doses of the vaccine. The firm unexpectedly announced cuts in supplies to the region last week, citing production problems at a Belgian factory, triggering a furious response from the bloc.

AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot argued in a media interview this week that deliveries of vaccine in Europe had been slowed because of glitches in its Belgian plant.

Britain, meanwhile, had signed its contract three months earlier than Brussels had and the firm used the time to resolve production problems and launch deliveries. But the Europe Commission reacted angrily, insisting that its contract does not stipulate that Britain production be reserved for UK deliveries and that it was for the firm to meet its commitments.

Mamer said that the previously confidential contract would prove that AstraZeneca had signed up for a clear delivery schedule and not simply to make its "best efforts" to serve the EU contract.

(with inputs from agencies)