Court ruling imminent on EU-AstraZeneca dispute

Brussels : A court in Brussels is expected to announce its verdict “as soon as possible” on the ongoing spat between the European Union (EU) and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca over shortfalls in deliveries of its coronavirus vaccine to the bloc. Following a brief hearing, the court closed all debates on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency. The EU is seeking compensation from AstraZeneca for an alleged breach of a contract concluded last summer, in which supplies of Covid-19 vaccines that were promised to all 27 member states were not delivered in full. According to the EU, AstraZeneca delivered only 30 million doses to the bloc in the first quarter of 2021, despite promising 300 million doses throughout 2021. In its defense, AstraZeneca has claimed that the terms and conditions of the contract were respected in full, and the company moreover has argued that it has kept the EU informed of all the developments linked to the process of producing and delivering the vaccine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this week that half of EU adults would have received their first dose of the vaccine this week, as 300 million doses are delivered, and 245 million doses administered.