The European Commission Ursula von der Leyen breached EU law by concealing information about multi-billion dollar contracts for coronavirus vaccines, according to a ruling by the EU court. Judges in Luxembourg ruled that Brussels authorities did not provide sufficient access to documents, particularly regarding potential conflicts of interest and compensation rules for vaccine manufacturers. The ruling can be appealed to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
During the pandemic, the European Commission negotiated and signed contracts with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of the Member States in 2020 and 2021 for hundreds of millions of vaccine doses. The approach was repeatedly criticised for only partially publishing the contracts or for delays in the delivery of the vaccine. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, among others, is investigating the case.
In 2021, MEPs and private individuals requested access to the contracts. However, the European Commission, led by German CDU politician von der Leyen, only partially granted this. That is why MEPs and private individuals filed a lawsuit and were now partially right. The ruling comes a day before the European Parliament votes on a second term for Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President.
The court criticised the European Commission for not having sufficiently justified why extensive access to the clauses on compensation rules would harm the commercial interests of the companies. The European Commission also refused access to the documents, citing the protection of people’s privacy. However, the claimants duly demonstrated that the publication of the data has a special public interest purpose: the absence of a conflict of interest can only be verified if the names and professional roles of the people involved in the contracts are available.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240717-930-176219/2
The European Commission Ursula von der Leyen breached EU law by concealing information about multi-billion dollar contracts for coronavirus vaccines, according to a ruling by the EU court. Judges in Luxembourg ruled that Brussels authorities did not provide sufficient access to documents, particularly regarding potential conflicts of interest and compensation rules for vaccine manufacturers. The ruling can be appealed to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
During the pandemic, the European Commission negotiated and signed contracts with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of the Member States in 2020 and 2021 for hundreds of millions of vaccine doses. The approach was repeatedly criticised for only partially publishing the contracts or for delays in the delivery of the vaccine. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, among others, is investigating the case.