On this point, it is really noticeable that EU politicians are targeting the UK here more than the US - by far the worse culprit on vaccine nationalism.
Commission spokesman just asked if they've received any reassurances from Biden admin that ban will end. He wouldn't comment.
Asked about the German MEPs saying Commission is treating Biden with kid gloves on vaccines (and about the brewing problem over access to Johnson & Johnson doses), the spokesman points to the EU's new transparency mechanism.
"That in itself is a very strong signal" he says.
There is worry a J&J proxy war between 🇺🇸&🇪🇺 could start, similar to AZ proxy war between 🇬🇧&🇪🇺.
We hear J&J won't be ready to start delivering vaccines to EU after approval tomorrow, and maybe not until May.
EC won't say whether they've received guarantees for J&J Q2 delivery.
Particular worry on J&J insistence doses made in EU be shipped across Atlantic to US for finishing before being sent back. Will they get caught in US export ban?
Liese says he's had no explanation from J&J about why this is necessary when there's a finishing plant in Germany.
Liese says Johnson & Johnson should be very concerned about getting to a situation where their behaviour leads to similar reputational damage in the EU that AstraZeneca is experiencing now.
Unlike other pharma, they're a well-liked consumer-facing company
The problem with the first option is you need to take the metro between train stations in Paris to switch, whereas in Lyon it's the same station
But...
🇪🇸Renfe & 🇫🇷SNCF don't have a ticketing agreement, so there's no way to get the preferred option as a combined ticket.
It doesn't show up on either website (Renfe won't even let you choose Brussels as a destination). Even 3rd party sites like SNCB Intl & Trainline can't show it
Tonight is the first semi-final for #Eurovision2023 in 🇬🇧Liverpool.
It's happening on the 25th anniversary of the 1998 contest hosted in 🇬🇧Birmingham, a transformative year that marks the boundary between the 'old' and 'new' Eurovision.
In 1998 Dana International became the first trans (and 1st openly LGBT) person to win the ESC.
Following the '98 contest it was decided to make two major rule changes: countries no longer had to sing in their national language and they weren't required to use an orchestra.
Those changes transformed what had become a stale archaic-looking contest in '90s into the explosion of spectacle in 2000s - helped also by the entry of enthusiastic Eastern European countries unable to participate during Communism.
The bookies have 🇸🇪Sweden as the favourite to win, followed by 🇫🇮Finland and 🇫🇷France.
But Sweden's odds have gotten worse since rehearsals started.
The singer, #Loreen, already won for 🇸🇪 in 2012 with Euphoria, a global hit hitting number one on the charts in 21 countries.
Among fans, I keep hearing "I predict Sweden will win but I don't want it to win". People like the song but think a 🇸🇪win is too predictable. 🇸🇪has dominated the contest for 2 decades.
If 🇸🇪win again they'll match Ireland's record for most wins - 7.
As the 🇬🇧#Coronation takes place in London, here's some fun facts about monarchies around the world.
I find Americans have the mistaken impression that Europe has many monarchies. In fact, excluding microstates, there are just 8 - and only 3 have been there more than 200 years.
There are actually more monarchies in Asia than in Europe.
The world has 16 kings, and only one queen (🇩🇰). Then there are 4 princes, 3 sultans, 2 emirs, 1 pope and 1 emperor (🇯🇵).
There are 4 types of monarchies remaining in Europe:
🇬🇧British
🇸🇪🇩🇰🇳🇴Scandinavian
🇳🇱🇧🇪🇱🇺Low Countries
🇪🇸Iberian
🇻🇦🇱🇮🇦🇩🇲🇨Microstates
This map shows when other European monarchies ended (most give the year of national independence from a imperial monarchy)
Surely the most important thing happening in🇬🇧this weekend😉
I'll be there covering. Here's the mother of all threads on the most important things to know for this year. 🧵1/23
The context: Despite what many think (Europeans' cultural cringe and all), #Eurovision is a big deal.
It's the most-watched annual live event in the world, with an average 200m viewers each year. That's more than the 🇺🇸Superbowl, Oscars & Grammys combined en.as.com/en/2022/03/14/…
Each year 40,000 visitors descend on the #Eurovision host city.
🇬🇧Liverpool is hosting this year. They've built a fan zone holding 15,000 people. There will be 9 shows over the week (televised: 2 semis & 1 final).