Belgian court enforces vaccine contracts in Pfizer case

A Belgian court has ruled that Poland and Romania must honour contracts with Pfizer and take delivery of vaccines worth roughly €1.9 billion.

The dispute dates back to 2023, when the pharmaceutical company filed a lawsuit to enforce obligations under an agreement concluded with the European Commission during the pandemic.

Both countries stopped complying with the contracts in 2022, citing changed circumstances – including the waning of the pandemic, the economic fallout from the war in Ukraine and allegations of an abuse of dominant market position. The court rejected those arguments and ordered both governments to accept and pay for the vaccines.

Poland is expected to pay around €1.3 billion, with Romania liable for approximately €600 million. Warsaw has already indicated it may pursue further legal action.

Pfizer, meanwhile, stressed the importance of honouring agreements that, it said, formed the backbone of the European Union’s collective response to the pandemic.

(reuters, pir)