EU Court Backs Order to Publish Vaccine Contract Data

The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Athanasios Rantos, has recommended rejecting the European Commission's appeal against a 2024 ruling by the EU General Court ordering it to publish more information on Covid-19 vaccine contracts. In his opinion, transparency in vaccine purchase negotiations is in the public interest.

During the pandemic, the Commission negotiated contracts worth billions of euros with vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer and BioNTech, on behalf of member states. In the disputed decision, it refused to disclose the names of members of its negotiating team and certain sections of the contracts, citing the protection of commercial privacy and corporate interests.

Rantos supported the General Court's conclusion that such secrecy does not allow for sufficient public scrutiny. His opinion is not binding on the judges, but it is often an indicator of the direction of the final ruling.

The Commission and its president, Ursula von der Leyen, have long faced criticism over a lack of transparency in vaccine procurement. In a separate case, the court ruled in 2025 that the Commission must also publish text messages exchanged between von der Leyen and Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla during vaccine negotiations. The Commission has not appealed that ruling.

(reuters, lud)