BRUSSELS. Quarrels between European partners over vaccines, possible agreement with the United Kingdom to end the war of vials and the “symbolic” appointment, and for many historical reasons, with Joe Biden, who at 20.30 will connect with the heads of state and of government of the Union to revive transatlantic relations after the fractures left by Donald Trump. Starting with collaboration in the fight against the pandemic. The European Council is all this in a video conference that opens today at 13 and will continue until late in the evening, with a queue, tomorrow, dedicated to economic issues related to Covid.
During the talks between the leaders of the Twenty-seven, a hand will also be extended to Recep Tayyip Erdogan: following the de-escalation in the Mediterranean, the Europeans will try to relaunch a “positive” agenda with Turkey. Which could include a new financial aid for migrants after the 6 billion disbursed by the EU in 2016 to welcome Syrian refugees and close the Balkan route.
EU, the pact for vaccines: “With the US stronger”
by our correspondent Alberto d’Argenio
BIDEN’S AID TO EUROPE
The highlight of the summit tonight when the US president connects with European leaders. Half an hour of talks, speeches of principle, will fly high to rebuild that historic partnership between the United States and Europe undermined by Trump. The chairman of the European Council, former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, will introduce the discussion, then it will be up to Joe Biden to speak. The reply will be entrusted to the current president of the Union, the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. But obviously the intervention of the main European leaders is not excluded: Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Mario Draghi. We will talk about the planetary geopolitical challenges and how to face them together, starting with relations with China and Russia. On which Biden will ask the Europeans for greater alignment. But we will also (and above all) discuss how to get out of the pandemic by working closely together. This is the American aid expected from European leaders.
Vaccines, now the EU trusts in the US. Brussels brake on exports
by our correspondent Alberto d’Argenio
The star-striped rescue will manifest itself in the coming weeks, as a consequence of the relaunch of relations between Washington and Brussels. The first concrete objective, at hand, will be the increase in the flows of raw materials arriving from the United States necessary to increase the production of vaccines in Europe. And then the willingness of the stars and stripes companies – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – to share patents with European factories that aim to convert their plants to increase continental supplies. A commitment from Washington is also expected to ensure that Johnson & Johnson, the latest compound approved by the EMA, will respect the deliveries envisaged by the contract with the EU: 55 million doses by June, so far uncertain but fundamental for the Union. And again, the commitment to open its European plant in Leiden, in the Netherlands as quickly as possible. With the hope – at the remote moment – that in late spring, when the US immunization campaign is advanced, the White House will waive the Defense Production Act and supply the EU with its vaccines.
EU, ultimatum in London on vaccines: stop exports if there is no reciprocity. Go to the travel pass
by our correspondent Alberto d’Argenio
THE UNION EXPORT BLOCK
On the other hand, European leaders are bitten by anguish over the delay in vaccinations and the umpteenth worsening of the pandemic. For this reason, in the afternoon, before the meeting with Biden, the Twenty-seven will be in conversation to understand how to speed up production and deliveries of vaccines with efforts – they declare – “further intensified”. They will talk about the new strengthened mechanism against exports put on the table yesterday by Ursula von der Leyen which, potentially, will block the exit of any vaccine from the EU. For Italy, France and Germany a step in the right direction.
AGREEMENT WITH BORIS?
The new EU export rules can leave the UK dry-mouthed by the production of the continent, from which London has already imported 10 million doses without sending even one of its own in exchange. A first result of the EU escalation was seen yesterday, when after the talks between the sherpas led by von der Leyen and Boris Johnson this joint statement came out: the EU and the UK reached an agreement to reach “a win-win solution (win -win) “on supplies. In the coming days” discussions will continue “on the details. Brussels aims for full “reciprocity”, to obtain (as stipulated in the contract) AstraZeneca vaccines produced in the UK if London wants to continue importing the vials of other companies into the EU. There is also talk of growth in trade in raw materials. But above all, the Union aims to open factories overseas of the Big Pharma that have contracts with Brussels, exploiting the British industrial fabric to increase the total production of vaccines for the benefit of both blocs (which would thus stop fighting).
Meanwhile, the clashes with AstraZeneca continue: last week the Commission put the company in default for non-compliance with supplies (it delivered less than 40% of the expected doses): if within two weeks it has not given guarantees, they explain in Brussels, the Eurogovernment is ready to sue (before the Belgian judge) the Anglo-Swedish house for breach of contract. The underlying goal will not be to win a lawsuit, but to push AstraZeneca to increase supplies.
THE DISPUTE OVER PFIZER
However, the heads of state and government risk getting bogged down in a quarrel triggered by the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, and by five other leaders from Central and Eastern Europe (Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Croatia). These are the heads of government who last summer, when Brussels was preparing the Union vaccination campaign, chose to bet heavily on AstraZeneca and are now in trouble. Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission proposed a population breakdown of all vaccines in the European portfolio (AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BionTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and, not yet on the market, Curevac and Sanofi). These six leaders, however, preferred to forego part of the doses of five vaccines by betting on AstraZeneca, the cheapest and easiest to manage. Today, however, AstraZeneca is behind with deliveries (in the first quarter it will reach a maximum of 40%) and Vienna & Co have remained dry-mouthed. They ask to make up for this gap by collecting all the additional 10 million Pfizer obtained from Brussels for the second quarter (in total it will be 200 million). Obviously this would impoverish the other European countries from the highly anticipated vials of the company that up to now is respecting the deliveries to the letter. In these hours the Sherpas are negotiating a solution (there is talk of using 4 million doses out of 10 to balance the shortcomings of the six countries) but there is still no agreement. The dossier could therefore end up on the leaders’ table, complete with quarrels.
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PEACE WITH ERDOGAN
Turkey will be another strategic dossier that will occupy the heads of state and government of the Union. After the exclusion with Erdogan due to the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean (the energy dossier with Cyprus and Greece which led to sanctions against Ankara), the strong tensions over Syria and Libya, now the tone is subsiding. At the push of Germany, the Europeans will try to relaunch a positive agenda, which goes beyond the dialogue of recent months based on threats and sanctions, to recover relations with Erdogan. On the other hand, Berlin is worried about a possible opening of the borders by the “Sultan” to make migrants move towards Central Europe (and towards the Greek islands) and must also take into account the large Turkish community in its own country. A “political agreement” could thus arrive between the Twenty-seven to pay out a new tranche of financial aid to Ankara linked to migrants after the 6 billion disbursed since 2016 to help manage the 5 million Syrian refugees who fled the war. The check will not be detached immediately, but today’s possible agreement will pave the way for a path that will end in the summer.
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