Thread by @DaveKeating

Hungary has become the first EU country to use its ability to emergency-authorise a vaccine before @EMA_News approval.

A minister says they've approved Russian vaccine Sputnik and ordered doses from Moscow.

Sputnik is not even on radar for EMA approval.
ft.com/content/20bfa7…

This could throw both Commission's procurement process and EMA's approval process into crisis.

It's essentially a gentleman's agreement not to pre-empt those two EU-level processes. Now that one country has broken ranks, will others follow?

Germany already flirted with idea.

I was told that at last night's #EUCO video summit all prime ministers and presidents expressed continued support for the Commission's joint procurement and the EMA's regulatory independence. Even Orban 🤷‍♂️.

Interesting distinction in the Commission's reaction.

A spokesman says member states are free to negotiate contracts and sign deals on vaccines that *are not* being negotiated by the Commission.

So Sputnik is OK, but AstraZeneca would not be.

It's all a bit confusing but this is what it boils down to:

💉National authorities can emergency-authorize any vaccine before EMA approval (more detail below)

💶MS can purchase a vaccine for itself that's not part of EU joint procurement purchases, but not the 6 in the process.

If a country subject to EU rules gives emergency use authorisation before EMA approval (as UK did with Pfizer), they're legally liable for anything that goes wrong with it & pharma company is off the hook

But vaccine can only circulate within that country
thebulletin.org/2020/11/is-eme…

#Hungary's emergency approval for Russia's #Sputnik vaccine is perfectly legal, since any national authority can approve before EMA.

Commission says purchase is also OK because it's not a vaccine bought at EU level.

Both both certainly go against the spirit of EU cooperation.