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EU Court Orders Disclosure of von der Leyen’s Pfizer Texts

The ruling invalidates the European Commission’s refusal to release messages from COVID-19 vaccine negotiations, with both sides able to appeal.

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Spitzname „Queen Ursula“: EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen
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Overview

  • The EU General Court ruled that the European Commission must disclose text messages exchanged between President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations.
  • The messages, sent between January 2021 and May 2022, relate to a €35 billion contract for up to 1.8 billion vaccine doses, the largest procurement deal of its kind by the EU.
  • The Commission argued the texts were not archived and contained no significant information, but the court found this explanation unconvincing and invalidated the refusal to release them.
  • The case raises questions about whether personal text messages should be classified as official documents under EU transparency regulations.
  • Both the Commission and the New York Times, which initiated the lawsuit, can appeal the decision to the European Court of Justice, leaving the judgment non-final for now.