EU chief Ursula von der Leyen gave her warning as Brussels unveiled its plan for a vaccine travel certificate, part of its effort to free up travel despite an emerging third wave of the pandemic.
"All options are on the table," the former German defence minister said, warning that the vaccine situation would be addressed among EU leaders at talks next week.
"We are in the crisis of the century, and I'm not ruling out any anything for now, because we have to make sure that Europeans are vaccinated as soon as possible," she said and briefly alluded to emergency powers last used during the Opec oil shock of the 1970s.
Some 10 million doses have been exported from the EU to Britain, making it "country number one as far as exports from the EU is concerned" https://t.co/8xvEKk4uwo
— EUobserver (@euobs) March 17, 2021
Europe's vaccination campaign has struggled to get off the ground due to delayed deliveries, as well as a bitter row with pharma giant AstraZeneca and fears over the safety of its vaccine.
The EU has already set up special oversight of vaccine exports in which manufacturers contracted to supply Europe must declare if they intend to export doses outside the bloc.
Most of the EU's worry is over Britain, home of the AstraZeneca vaccine, where the inoculation campaign has progressed at a much faster pace than in the EU.
Brussels has accused London of operating a de facto export ban to achieve its vaccine success, a claim furiously denied by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government.
But von der Leyen on Wednesday said the EU was "still waiting" for its AstraZeneca orders to come out of "two sites in the UK", despite the fact that 10 million doses from other manufacturers had entered Britain from the EU.
"This is an invitation to show us that there are also doses from the UK coming to the European Union, so that we have reciprocity," she said.
In its response, Britain said Brussels had previously pledged to allow drugmakers to deliver on their contracts.
"We expect the EU to continue to stand by its commitment," a UK spokesperson added.
(AFP)
