PARIS (March 28): The European Union will block exports of AstraZeneca plc coronavirus vaccines if the company fails to deliver the doses bought by the region on time, according to the EU commissioner in charge of fixing the bloc's vaccination drive.

"As long as AstraZeneca doesn't make good on its obligations, everything that's produced on European soil is distributed to Europeans," Thierry Breton, the EU's internal markets commissioner, said on RTL radio on Sunday. "If there are surpluses, they will go elsewhere."