The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has suffered a legal blow as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against it in a case concerning the transparency of COVID-19 vaccine contracts.
The timing is particularly sensitive, as the European Parliament is due to vote on Von Der Leyen‘s reappointment as Commission President tomorrow.
Green MEPs initiated the case back in October 2021, requesting access to the COVID-19 vaccine contracts negotiated by the Commission. Despite months of correspondence, the MEPs were only provided with heavily redacted versions of the contracts.
In its ruling today, the ECJ annulled the Commission’s decision to conceal certain parts of the contracts, finding that the institution did not sufficiently demonstrate that wider access to the clauses would undermine the commercial interests of the vaccine manufacturers.
The Court also ruled that the Commission’s decision to publish only redacted versions of the contracts contained irregularities.
This presents a dilemma for the Greens, who have been courted by von der Leyen in recent days as she seeks to secure her reappointment. The group had challenged the Commission’s redactions, arguing that the public has a right to know the details of the vaccine contracts, including prices, liability, and delivery schedules.
MEP Kim van Sparrentak reiterated this sentiment, stating that “these contracts are about public health and it is in the public’s interest that the information they contain…is as transparent as possible and accessible to the public.”
The European Commission has the option to appeal the decision within two months, but it remains to be seen what impact, if any, this ruling will have on von der Leyen’s candidacy and the upcoming vote.
