The European Union is rebuffing British government calls to ship AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines produced in a factory in the Netherlands, an EU official said.

Former EU member Britain has so far administered many more vaccines than EU countries in proportion to the population.

“The Brits are insisting that the Halix plant in the Netherlands must deliver the drug substance produced there to them. That doesn’t work,” the official told Reuters.

The Leiden-based plant which is run by sub-contractor Halix is listed as a supplier of vaccines in both the contracts that AstraZeneca has signed with Britain and with the European Union. “What is produced in Halix has to go to the EU,” the official added.