Covid news – live: EU withdraws controversial plan for vaccine export controls at Irish border

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What you need to know about the coronavirus vaccines

The EU has backed down over its controversial plan to use a Brexit clause to stop Covid vaccines crossing the Irish border amid the ongoing row over jab supplies.

Downing Street had demanded an urgent explanation after the European Commission said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to ensure all citizens of the bloc have access to jabs and maintain transparency.

However the move was widely condemned across the UK and Ireland - with both Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party describing the move as “totally ill judged” and '"an incredible act of hostility".

The Commission later confirmed that it would not trigger Article 16 but warned that it would consider taking action if attempts were made to circumvent export controls imposed on vaccines produced within the bloc. The dispute began after AstraZeneca announced it would reduce its initial supplies of vaccines to the EU by 60 per cent.

It came as the European Medicines Agency granted authorisation for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the EU on Friday.

Meanwhile, a fourth Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for use in the UK in a matter of weeks after clinical trials showed the Novavax candidate was 89 per cent effective in preventing coronavirus.

The Novavax jab, which will be produced on Teesside, will now be assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The UK has secured 60 million doses of the vaccine, which is believed to offer protection against emerging variants, such as the new UK and South African strains.

• Tony Blair calls for world to come together to fight Covid
• EU steps up threat to block vaccine exports to UK by exploring ‘all legal means’ to keep supplies
• Dubai joins ‘red list’ with travel ban from UAE
• Does the new coronavirus strain have the same symptoms as the first?
• The vaccine bust-up between Britain and the EU is a lose-lose situation - but is it a sign of things to come?

Key Points

• EU forced to withdraw Northern Ireland threat in vaccines row
• UK demands urgent explanation over export controls at Irish border
• France closes borders to travellers from outside the EU
• Novavax vaccine 89% effective in preventing Covid, preliminary analysis finds
• Macron labels AstraZeneca jab ‘quasi-ineffective’ on older people – hours before EMA approves it
• Covid infections level off across UK, figures show
• UK bans flights from UAE

[30 January 2021 00:07 · Peter Stubley]

Goodbye

That’s it for today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks for reading.

[30 January 2021 00:05 · Peter Stubley]

Macron claims AstraZeneca vaccine ‘quasi-ineffective’

Here’s a reminder that earlier today the French president Emmanuel Macron questioned the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine - shortly before it was approved for all adults in the EU, and at a time when the EU is demanding the company steps up its supply.

In a press briefing in Paris on Friday afternoon, the French president complained the jab “doesn't work the way we were expecting it to”.

[29 January 2021 23:48 · Peter Stubley]

No restrictions on vaccine exports under contract, says Von Der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had been in "constructive talks" with Boris Johnson over the issue of vaccine export restrictions.

She tweeted: "Constructive talks with Prime Minister BorisJohnson tonight.

"We agreed on the principle that there should not be restrictions on the export of vaccines by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities."

However, while the EU has published its contract with AstraZeneca, there remains uncertainty about the terms of the deal between the company and the UK.

[29 January 2021 23:44 · Peter Stubley]

EU forced to withdraw Irish border threat

The EU has been forced to withdraw a threat to trigger a highly controversial part of the Brexit deal to prevent coronavirus vaccines entering Northern Ireland as a back door route into the UK.  

The bloc performed a rapid U-turn after the proposed move prompted fury from Downing Street, the Irish government and even the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

[29 January 2021 23:39 · Peter Stubley]

EU accused of ‘hypocrisy’

Meanwhile the DUP have seized on the controversy to question the entire purpose of the Northern Ireland protocol.

Deputy leader Simon Dodds said the EU’s “whole approach to Northern Ireland has been based on hypocrisy and falsehood” as he suggested that the UK could also trigger Article 16 because of the current trade disruption in Northern Ireland due to Brexit border controls.

[29 January 2021 23:32 · Peter Stubley]

EU export controls ‘not a hostile act’, says Spanish minister

Spanish foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez-Laya said the triggering of Article 16 was an “accident”.

"I understand, and this is what I hear from the European Commission, that there was an accident," she told BBC Newsnight."The accident or the mishap has been repaired and I think that is important."

She also insisted the EU's wider move to control exports of vaccines was "not a hostile act against third countries".

"This is the mechanism of transparency that the EU needs that a particular pharmaceutical company today honours its commitment, as simple as that," she said. 

[29 January 2021 23:22 · Peter Stubley]

NI protocol ‘not something to be tampered with lightly’

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney says that “lessons should be learned” over the EU’s threat to use the Brexit safeguard clause.

He tweeted: “The Protocol is not something to be tampered with lightly, it’s an essential, hard won compromise, protecting peace & trade for many.”

[29 January 2021 23:16 · Peter Stubley]

Vaccine export control agreed with Ireland, says Von Der Leyen

European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen says she has agreed a “satisfactory way to introduce an export authorisation mechanism for COVID vaccines” with Irish premier Micheal Martin.

[29 January 2021 23:08 · Peter Stubley]

Reaction to EU climbdown

The EU decision has been welcomed by Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

He tweeted: "Welcome decision by the European Commission tonight not to invoke the safeguard clause of the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol following constructive discussions with Ursula Von Der Leyen.

"This is a positive development given the many challenges we face in tackling COVID-19."

Labour’s shadow Northern Ireland secretary said it was the right decision, adding: “This profound misjudgement has caused unnecessary damage.”

[29 January 2021 22:44 · Peter Stubley]

EU Commission ‘not triggering’ Article 16

The European Commission has issued a statement confirming that it not triggering Article 16 of the the Northern Ireland Protocol to block exports of vaccines across the Irish border.

However it warns that it will consider taking action if their authorisation is “circumvented” by passing to the UK via Northern Ireland.

"To tackle the current lack of transparency of vaccine exports outside the EU, the Commission is putting in place a measure requiring that such exports are subject to an authorisation by Member States.

"In the process of finalisation of this measure, the Commission will ensure that the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected. The Commission is not triggering the safeguard clause.

"Should transits of vaccines and active substances toward third countries be abused to circumvent the effects of the authorisation system, the EU will consider using all the instruments at its disposal.

"In the process of finalising the document, the Commission will also be fine-tuning the decision-making process under the implementing regulation.

“The final version of the implementing regulation will be published following its adoption tomorrow.”