Ursula von der Leyen accuses UK of compromising on vaccine safety
February 2, 2021, 12:19 pm

Ursula von der Leyen accuses UK of compromising on vaccine safety

Ursula von der Leyen, pictured last month, said: ‘The commission and the member states agreed not to compromise with the safety and efficacy requirements linked to the authorisation of a vaccine.’

European commission chief defends record, saying EU’s slower approval process was ‘right decision’

The vaccination programme in the UK has enjoyed a head start through compromising on “safety and efficacy” safeguards, the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has claimed.

The former German defence minister, who took command of the EU’s executive branch in 2019, said she had a responsibility to take time to ensure the success of the bloc’s mass vaccination programme.

In the face of heavy criticism, including from her predecessor, Jean-Claude Juncker, Von der Leyen said she was committed to her role and should be judged at the end of her term in 2024.

“Some countries started to vaccinate a little before Europe, it is true,” she said, asked about the UK. “But they resorted to emergency, 24-hour marketing authorisation procedures.

“The commission and the member states agreed not to compromise with the safety and efficacy requirements linked to the authorisation of a vaccine. Time had to be taken to analyse the data, which, even minimised, takes three to four weeks.

“So, yes, Europe left it later, but it was the right decision. I remind you that a vaccine is the injection of an active biological substance into a healthy body. We are talking about mass vaccination here, it is a gigantic responsibility.”

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave the go-ahead for the vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech on 2 December and Oxford/AstraZeneca on 30 December through a temporary, emergency approval of specific batches, an approach also available to EU member states.

The 27 EU governments decided, however, to seek authorisation together through the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is unable to take the fast-track option. The Pfizer vaccine was approved on 21 December and AstraZeneca received approval last Friday.

Amid criticism at the time of the approval, the MHRA had said it had “rigorously assessed the data in the shortest time possible, without compromising the thoroughness of our review”.

The commission has been criticised over a shortage of vaccine supplies with just 2.84% of the EU’s adult population having received a jab against 14.41% in the UK as of Tuesday.Von der Leyen said the EU was “just starting” and the commission’s strategy was “the right one”, in an interview with Le Monde and other European newspapers.

She has been embroiled in a bitter row with AstraZeneca over a shortage of doses in the first quarter of this year.

The commission has raised suspicions that the shortfall was due to doses being shipped to the UK. Von der Leyen has also demanded that vaccine is produced for EU citizens from plants in Oxford and Staffordshire to make good on the missing deliveries.

She said: “Our contract with AstraZeneca is clear … nothing prevents the company from delivering us doses produced in the United Kingdom, as stipulated in the contract, especially since London does not prohibit it.

“It’s up to AstraZeneca to organise itself to deliver its customers, that’s none of our business. What we want are plausible explanations and a schedule for upcoming deliveries.”

Last week, the EU introduced an export authorisation scheme to force vaccine suppliers to seek approval for moving doses outside of the bloc. The Japanese government has said it fears the move will slow down its vaccination programme by introducing extra paperwork.

Von der Leyen said the new mechanism would reassure the commission that its own doses had not and would not leave the EU.

“From now on, when a laboratory asks for authorisation to export its vaccines, it will also have to say what happened in December 2020 and January,” she said. “We want to know what it produced in its European factories, what was exported, where it was exported and what was stored. Better transparency than rumours.”

On Monday, Juncker, who led the commission between 2014 and 2019, voiced his opposition to the new regulation, adding that the EU programme had been “too slow”.

“We are back in a debate where again the suggestion is being made that nothing should be exported from the European Union to other non-EU countries,” he said. “I am very much opposed to the European Union now giving the impression that we are taking care of ourselves and that the suffering of other people, especially in poorer countries and on poorer continents, does not affect us.”

Von der Leyen did not apologise for the commission’s ill-fated plan to seek to erect a vaccine border on the island of Ireland by triggering a clause in the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The commission was forced into a U-turn on the decision after an outcry by the Irish taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Boris Johnson, among others.

She said: “I know how sensitive the Irish subject is. But when you take urgent decisions – in this year of crisis, the commission has taken almost 900 – there is always a risk of missing something. I am relieved that we were able to find a solution.”

source: Daniel Boffey

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.