SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Sosyal Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 26 Sayı: 1

The case of EU COVID-19 vaccine joint procurement: Legal framework and economic considerations

AB’nin COVID-19 aşılarının ortak tedariki örneği: Hukuki çerçeve ve ekonomik değerlendirmeler

Dubravko Sabolić(University of Zagreb)0000-0002-7892-8701
Darko Dvornik(Zagreb School of Business)0000-0000-0000-0000
Nika Dvornik(University of Zagreb, School of Medicine)0000-0000-0000-0001
Pages
43–54
Publication Date
2026-04-29
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Keywords: COVID-19; joint procurement; advance purchase agreements; EU health law; transparency JEL Codes: I18; H57; K23; O38.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Purpose – Briefly review the EU’s joint procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, clarifying the legal architecture (Emergency Support Instrument, Joint Procurement Agreement, subsequent reforms) and the economics of advance purchase agreements (APAs).
📊
Key Findings & Data:APAs functioned as risk-sharing and capacity-reservation contracts: diversification across platforms accelerated authorisations in 2020–2021 but produced surplus commitments and accountability frictions; ex-post performance assessment was limited; transparency over contracts and communications was contested.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Keywords: COVID-19; joint procurement; advance purchase agreements; EU health law; transparency JEL Codes: I18; H57; K23; O38.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2020–2021 Verileri
⚙️Variables:COVID-19 · ortak tedarik · ileri satın alma sözleşmeleri

Abstract

Purpose – Briefly review the EU’s joint procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, clarifying the legal architecture (Emergency Support Instrument, Joint Procurement Agreement, subsequent reforms) and the economics of advance purchase agreements (APAs). Methodology – Law-and-economics synthesis of EU legal instruments and institutional evaluations (European Court of Auditors, Ombudsman, General Court), complemented by descriptive evidence on authorisations and portfolio composition. Findings – A layered emergency framework enabled rapid, centralised contracting and equitable allocation. APAs functioned as risk-sharing and capacity-reservation contracts: diversification across platforms accelerated authorisations in 2020–2021 but produced surplus commitments and accountability frictions; ex-post performance assessment was limited; transparency over contracts and communications was contested. Conclusions – The joint approach met urgent supply goals yet exposed design and governance trade-offs. Future procurement should add volume flexibility and profit-sharing mechanisms, clearer standing legal bases, predefined disclosure protocols, and ex-ante evaluation metrics to align speed with accountability. Keywords: COVID-19; joint procurement; advance purchase agreements; EU health law; transparency JEL Codes: I18; H57; K23; O38.

Özet

Amaç - AB’nin COVID-19 aşılarının ortak tedarik sürecini kısaca gözden geçirerek hukuki mimariyi (Acil Destek Aracı, Ortak Tedarik Anlaşması ve sonraki reformlar) ve ileri satın alma sözleşmelerinin (APA) iktisadını netleştirmek. Yöntem - AB hukuk metinleri ile kurumsal değerlendirmelerin (Avrupa Sayıştayı, Ombudsman, Genel Mahkeme) hukuk-iktisat sentezi; yetkilendirme zamanlaması ve portföy bileşimine ilişkin betimleyici kanıtlarla desteklenmiştir. Bulgular – Katmanlı acil durum çerçevesi hızlı ve merkezî sözleşme yapmayı, adil tahsisi mümkün kılmıştır. APAlar risk paylaşımı ve kapasite ayırma işlevi görmüş; platformlar arası çeşitlendirme 2020–2021’de yetkilendirmeleri hızlandırırken fazla taahhütler ve hesap verebilirlik gerilimleri doğurmuştur. Ex post performans ölçümü sınırlı, sözleşme ve yazışmaların şeffaflığı tartışmalıdır. Sonuç – Ortak yaklaşım acil arz hedeflerine ulaşmış; ancak tasarım ve yönetişimde değiş-tokuşları açığa çıkarmıştır. Gelecekte tedarik; hacim esnekliği ve kâr paylaşımı düzenekleri, daha net kalıcı hukuki dayanaklar, önceden tanımlı ifşa protokolleri ve ex ante değerlendirme göstergeleriyle hız-hesap verebilirlik dengesini güçlendirmelidir. Amaç, Yöntem, Bulgular ve Sonuç kısımlarının tamamı 150 kelimeyi geçmemelidir. Amaç, Yöntem, Bulgular ve Sonuç kısımlarının tamamı 150 kelimeyi geçmemelidir. Amaç, Yöntem, Bulgular ve Sonuç kısımlarının tamamı 150 kelimeyi geçmemelidir. Amaç, Yöntem, Bulgular ve Sonuç kısımlarının tamamı 150 kelimeyi geçmemelidir. Anahtar Kelimeler: COVID-19; ortak tedarik; ileri satın alma sözleşmeleri; AB sağlık hukuku; şeffaflık JEL Kodları: I18; H57; K23; O38.

🔖

Cite This Article

Sabolić, D., Dvornik, D., Dvornik, N. (2026). The case of EU COVID-19 vaccine joint procurement: Legal framework and economic considerations. Sosyal Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi, Cilt: 26 Sayı: 1, 43–54. https://doi.org/10.30976/susead.1796217

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (23)

  1. Arroyo, J., Del Giovane, C., Mizsei, B., Vu, H., & Yu-Cheong Yeung, T. (2025). The EU vaccines strategy: A mixed bag of achievements and discontent. European Journal of Risk Regulation, 16, 653–669. https://doi.org/10.1017/err.2024.92
  2. Cohen, J. (2020, May 12). Unveiling “Warp Speed,” the White House’s America-first push for a coronavirus vaccine. Science. https://www.science.org/content/article/unveiling-warp-speed-white-house-s-america-first-push-coronavirus-vaccine
  3. Council of the European Union. (2016, March 15). Council Regulation (EU) 2016/369 on the provision of emergency support within the Union. Official Journal of the European Union, L 70, 1–6. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/369/oj/eng
  4. Council of the European Union. (2020, April 14). Council Regulation (EU) 2020/521 activating the emergency support under Regulation (EU) 2016/369 and amending its provisions. Official Journal of the European Union, L 117, 3–8. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/521/oj/eng
  5. Council of the European Union. (2022, October 24). Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2372 on a framework of measures for ensuring the supply of crisis-relevant medical countermeasures in the event of a public health emergency at Union level. Official Journal of the European Union, L 314, 64–78. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2372/oj/eng
  6. European Commission. (2014, April 10). Joint Procurement Agreement to procure medical countermeasures. https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/joint-procurement-agreement-procure-medical-countermeasures_en
  7. European Commission. (2020, June 17). Communication on the EU vaccines strategy (COM(2020) 245 final). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0245
  8. European Commission. (2020, July 15). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Short-term EU health preparedness for COVID-19 outbreaks (COM(2020) 318 final). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2014_2019/plmrep/AUTRES_INSTITUTIONS/COMM/COM/2020/10-28/COM_COM20200318ANN_EN.pdf
  9. European Commission. (2021, June 29). Answer to European Parliament written question E-000552/2021 (Answer given by Commissioner Kyriakides). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-000552-ASW_EN.html
  10. European Commission. (2021, September 16). Commission Decision C(2021) 6712 establishing the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/b91ee2e4-28d3-4269-86a7-899a45958d7f_en
  11. European Court of Auditors. (2022). EU COVID-19 vaccine procurement—Sufficient doses secured after initial challenges, but performance of the process not sufficiently assessed (Special Report 19/2022). https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/covid19-vaccines-19-2022/en/
  12. European Medicines Agency. (2021). One year since the first COVID-19 vaccine approval in the EU. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/one-year-first-covid-19-vaccine-approval-eu_en.pdf
  13. European Ombudsman. (2022, July 12). Decision in case 1316/2021/MIG on access to text messages related to vaccine procurement—Maladministration found. https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/en/158295
  14. European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2001, May 30). Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. Official Journal of the European Union, L 145, 43–48. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2001/1049/oj/eng
  15. European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2013, October 22). Decision No 1082/2013/EU on serious cross-border threats to health and repealing Decision No 2119/98/EC. Official Journal of the European Union, L 293, 1–15. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/1082/oj/eng
  16. European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2014, February 26). Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC. Official Journal of the European Union, L 94, 65–242. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/24/oj/eng
  17. European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2018, July 18). Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. Official Journal of the European Union, L 193, 1–222. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1046/oj/eng
  18. European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2022, November 23). Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to health and repealing Decision No 1082/2013/EU. Official Journal of the European Union, L 314, 26–63. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2371/oj/eng
  19. European Parliament and Council of the European Union. (2024, September 23). Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast). Official Journal of the European Union, L. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj/eng
  20. General Court of the European Union. (2025, May 14). Case T-36/23, Stevi and The New York Times v Commission (Grand Chamber judgment). https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?language=en&num=T-36/23
  21. Kremer, M., Levin, J., & Snyder, C. M. (2020). Advance market commitments: Insights from theory and experience. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 110, 269–273. https://doi.org/10.1257/pandp.20201017
  22. Kremer, M., Levin, J., & Snyder, C. M. (2020). Designing advance market commitments for new vaccines (NBER Working Paper No. 28168). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w28168
  23. OECD. (2021). Using trade to fight COVID-19: Manufacturing and distributing vaccines. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/using-trade-to-fight-covid-19-manufacturing-and-distributing-vaccines_dc0d37fc-en.html