BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top official has apologized for creating a row with Britain last month when the bloc considered applying an emergency restriction on exports of COVID-19 vaccines also to the U.K.’s Northern Ireland. The EU was in a dispute with Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and introduced tighter rules on exports of COVID-19 vaccines. EU officials thought about also introducing controls on exports to Northern Ireland, a move that would have created a hard border between the small territory and Ireland. Since the Brexit deal guarantees that goods flow freely between the EU and Northern Ireland to protect the Irish peace process, the plans sparked concerns and outrage in Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
