Adding to the controversy, a New York Times report revealed that Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla discussed vaccine contracts via text messages.

New Delhi: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has delivered a significant verdict to the European Commission and its President Ursula von der Leyen. The ECJ ruled on Wednesday that the European Union's executive body failed to provide adequate public information about its vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. This ruling followed complaints from some European lawmakers about the Commission's opacity in its negotiations with vaccine manufacturers.

Insufficient consideration of interests

The court stated, “The Commission did not take sufficient account of all the relevant circumstances in order to weigh up correctly the interests at issue.” This judgment underscores the need for greater transparency, especially given the critical nature of the vaccine agreements during the pandemic.

Commission's confidentiality, partial access

During the pandemic, the European Commission was responsible for procuring vaccines for all 27 EU member states, amassing $2.95 billion and ordering a billion doses. However, when lawmakers sought full details of these agreements in 2021, the Commission cited confidentiality and only provided partial access. The disclosed documents did not include the financial details of the transactions with vaccine manufacturers.

Irregularities in provided documents

The ECJ found irregularities in the documents shared with EU lawmakers, highlighting the Commission's failure to maintain transparency.

Text message controversy

Adding to the controversy, a New York Times The report revealed that Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla discussed vaccine contracts via text messages. When journalists requested access to these messages, the Commission refused, stating no record was kept.

Implications for Ursula von der Leyen's re-election

This ruling arrives just before a critical vote in the European Parliament, where von der Leyen is seeking re-election as European Commission President. Although she recently secured support from a majority of EU leaders, she now needs backing from at least 361 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) out of 720 seats. The impact of this ruling on her re-election bid remains uncertain, but the Commission can appeal the ECJ's decision within two months.