The European Court of Justice has ruled that the European Commission, under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen, failed to provide sufficient transparency in its COVID-19 vaccine contracts. The court found that the Commission did not adequately justify withholding information about potential conflicts of interest and compensation rules for vaccine manufacturers.The ruling stems from lawsuits filed by EU lawmakers, including Green Party MEPs, and private individuals who sought access to the contracts signed between the Commission and pharmaceutical companies in 2021. The Commission had argued that full disclosure would harm the commercial interests of the pharmaceutical companies, but the court found this justification insufficient.Specifically, the court criticized the Commission’s refusal to disclose declarations of absence of conflict of interest from members of the negotiating team. It also found fault with the Commission’s handling of clauses related to indemnification and compensation rules for vaccine manufacturers.This ruling comes at a critical time for von der Leyen, who is seeking re-election as President of the European Commission. The European Parliament is set to vote on her second term just days after this court decision.Adding to the controversy, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the Commission’s vaccine procurement process, which involved contracts worth billions of euros. The investigation is examining potential irregularities in the purchase agreements, including allegations of abuse of office and destruction of public documents.The Commission has stated that it will ‘carefully study’ the judgments, but has not ruled out the possibility of appealing the decision to the European Court of Justice. The court has given the Commission until the end of September to appeal.
Key points
- The European Court of Justice ruled that the European Commission failed to provide sufficient transparency in COVID-19 vaccine contracts.
- The ruling criticized the Commission’s refusal to disclose information about potential conflicts of interest and compensation rules for vaccine manufacturers.
- This decision comes just before Ursula von der Leyen’s bid for re-election as Commission President.
- The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the Commission’s vaccine procurement process.
Contradictions👾While most sources report that the European Court of Justice made the ruling, one source refers to it as the European General Court.
This discrepancy may be due to the hierarchical structure of the EU court system, where the General Court is a constituent court of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
