Italy has blocked a shipment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine that was destined for Australia, in the first intervention since the EU introduced new rules over the shipment of vaccines outside the bloc. 

Rome stopped the export of 250,000 doses of the vaccine, officials said. Italy notified Brussels of its move at the end of last week under the EU’s vaccine export transparency regime. The European Commission had the power to object to the Italian decision and did not, officials said.

The move threatens to inflame global tensions over vaccine procurement after EU allies objected to the introduction of its export regime. Under the controversial system announced by the commission at the end of January, EU-based vaccine manufacturers must seek authorisation from the national government where their Covid-19 vaccine is produced before exporting it out of the EU.