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The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen bears responsibility for withholding information related to the EU’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts between 2021 and 2023.
The court found that the Commission failed to comply with transparency obligations, particularly concerning the negotiation and content of vaccine deals made during the height of the pandemic. This includes contracts signed with major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna.
Critics have long accused the Commission of a lack of accountability, especially regarding reported personal text communications between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. These texts were allegedly used to negotiate key terms of the vaccine contracts, but were never disclosed despite formal requests from journalists and Members of the European Parliament.
The ECJ’s ruling states that the failure to provide access to those communications constitutes a breach of EU transparency laws.
Von der Leyen and the Commission have not yet responded to the ruling. However, legal experts suggest the judgment may open the door to further legal and political scrutiny over the EU’s pandemic response and the billions of euros spent on vaccine procurement.
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