On Monday, Britain demanded the European Union allow the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines that it has ordered as tensions over a possible export ban on EU-manufactured shots have mounted and Brussels have pointed an accusing finger at drug-maker AstraZeneca.

An EU official has stated that the UK is not to blame and the EU is not to blame, rather it’s about everyone finding an agreement with a company that has been over-selling its production capacity.

On Thursday, after falling far behind post-Brexit Britain and the United States in rolling out the vaccines, the EU leaders are due to discuss a possible ban on the vaccine exports to Britain at a summit.

On Sunday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to the EU’s most powerful leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, to steer them away from the bans.

Reportedly, Johnson’s spokesman refused to comment on whether Britain, which excited the 27-nation EU’s orbit on December 31 was considering retaliatory measures. He said that he is not going to get into any kind of hypothetical but their position is clear that they do not want to see the countries placing any export restrictions on the vaccinations.

The EU officials said that AstraZeneca has told Brussels that the UK is using a clause in its supply contract that thereby prevents the exports of its vaccines until the British market is fully served. The European Commission which has the coordinated vaccine o0rders for the EU stated that reciprocity was the key. Moreover, the EU has exported some 35 million doses ever since the end of January that includes 10 million to Britain, but Britain has exported none, despite the two of the UK facilities in the EU’s contract with AstraZeneca.

Chief Commission spokesman Eric Mamer enquired in a news conference regarding the position they hold that they expect AstraZeneca to deliver the doses to the European Union that have already been contracted. The contracts are ongoing with the company, he added.

He further said that the EU was also in talks with Britain on the particular issue but it, however, did not supply any additional details. In the meanwhile, Germany, France, and Italy have widely supported tighter export curbs on those who do not reciprocate, and the countries include Belgium, Netherlands, and Ireland, who are more cautious about cutting off the UK.

On Sunday, an EU official told Reuters that the bloc was rebuffing the British government calls to ship AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that were being produced in a factory in the Netherlands, even though the company has not made any formal export request.

The officials told Reuters that the Brits are now insisting that the Halix plant in the Netherlands must deliver the drug substance produced there to them, but that doesn’t work.

As of 20th March, the UK has administered nearly 44 vaccines for every 100 people, whereas the EU had administered approximately 13 shots per 100 people.