The European Commission unlawfully withheld information regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts during the pandemic, an Advocate General of the EU's highest court stated on Thursday ahead of a final ruling in a transparency case against the Brussels authority. This was reported by Deutsche Presse-Agentur, according to UNN.
Details
During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020–2021, a team of European Commission officials and EU experts negotiated with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of European Union member states and concluded vaccine procurement agreements.
According to a statement from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), 2.7 billion euros ($3.1 billion) were allocated to place a mandatory order for over 1 billion doses of vaccines.
In 2021, MEPs and citizens filed requests for access to the contracts. The European Commission agreed to provide the documents, but only partially, redacting the names of the negotiation team members and specific contract provisions regarding compensation to pharmaceutical companies — allegedly to protect privacy and commercial interests.
MEPs and private individuals challenged this decision in the General Court of the European Union — the bloc's second-highest judicial instance, which ruled in their favor in 2024.
However, the European Commission filed an appeal with the European Court of Justice. In his legal opinion, Advocate General Athanasios Rantos proposed that the court uphold the lower court's decision.
In the US, a key committee stops recommending COVID-19 vaccination for adults20.09.25, 15:34
In his opinion, Rantos emphasized the particular public interest in ensuring transparency regarding the negotiations of these contracts.
According to him, the disclosure of only anonymized declarations of potential conflicts of interest for the negotiators is not sufficient for an effective verification of their impartiality.
Regarding the redacted provisions on compensation for pharmaceutical companies, the Advocate General noted that the European Commission's arguments about potential harm to the companies' business interests in the event of disclosure were insufficiently substantiated.
The opinions of Advocates General are not binding on the judges; however, the European Court of Justice often takes them into account. A final decision in the case is expected in the coming months.
The EU executive body has repeatedly faced accusations of insufficient transparency regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement.
In another high-profile case, the EU General Court ruled in 2025 that the European Commission unlawfully refused to release text messages between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
This decision led to an attempted vote of no confidence against von der Leyen in the European Parliament, which, however, was unsuccessful.