EU Court Ruling on Transparency in Vaccine Negotiations
A European Union court ruled that the European Commission must be more transparent regarding its negotiations for COVID-19 vaccines, specifically regarding text messages exchanged between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla. The case, initiated by The New York Times, highlighted the Commission’s refusal to release these messages, claiming they were too ephemeral to be retained. This ruling could set a precedent for document retention laws in the EU and impact the Commission’s transparency reputation amidst ongoing scrutiny of vaccine procurement contracts.