Court sets trial date for Von der Leyen in Covid-19 vaccine scandal – FT
The president of the European Commission is under suspicion for allegedly concealing private text messages exchanged with the CEO of Pfizer. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The European Commission president is under scrutiny for allegedly withholding private text messages exchanged with Pfizer’s CEO.
On November 15, the European Court of Justice is scheduled to review a case regarding European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen’s management of Covid-19 vaccine procurement, as reported by the Financial Times, citing anonymous sources. A panel of 15 judges will examine whether she illegally withheld text messages that she is said to have exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
During the pandemic's peak, the commission pushed for the collective purchase of billions of vaccine doses for EU member states facing difficulties with Covid-19. Between 2020 and 2021, Brussels negotiated contracts with vaccine manufacturers totaling around €2.7 billion.
Von der Leyen is believed to have played a significant role in organizing the procurement efforts, although critics argue that the negotiations lacked sufficient transparency.
The Financial Times mentioned that the EU court’s Grand Chamber, which is expected to review the evidence, typically addresses complex or particularly significant cases.
In January 2023, the New York Times filed a lawsuit against the European Commission after it stated it did not possess Von der Leyen’s alleged text messages, which the newspaper had requested through a freedom of information inquiry.
Bourla reportedly confirmed that he and Von der Leyen exchanged private messages and that she indicated her personal involvement in negotiating the vaccine purchase contracts.
While the New York Times has insisted on the release of the alleged communications, Von der Leyen maintains that she deleted most of her exchanges with Bourla.
Next month, the EU court is anticipated to ask representatives of the commission whether the messages central to the case ever existed and, if they did, why they were subsequently destroyed, according to the Financial Times.
In an unrelated case in mid-July, the EU’s general court found that the Commission had withheld details regarding multibillion-euro Covid vaccine deals with Pfizer and AstraZeneca without a valid justification. In 2021, a group of Members of the European Parliament requested access to these documents to ensure public interest protection and to confirm that members of the EU negotiating team had no conflicts of interest.
The Commission only permitted the release of a redacted version and declined to disclose the identities of the negotiating team members, prompting the lawmakers to escalate the matter to court.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
On November 15, the European Court of Justice is scheduled to review a case regarding European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen’s management of Covid-19 vaccine procurement, as reported by the Financial Times, citing anonymous sources. A panel of 15 judges will examine whether she illegally withheld text messages that she is said to have exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
During the pandemic's peak, the commission pushed for the collective purchase of billions of vaccine doses for EU member states facing difficulties with Covid-19. Between 2020 and 2021, Brussels negotiated contracts with vaccine manufacturers totaling around €2.7 billion.
Von der Leyen is believed to have played a significant role in organizing the procurement efforts, although critics argue that the negotiations lacked sufficient transparency.
The Financial Times mentioned that the EU court’s Grand Chamber, which is expected to review the evidence, typically addresses complex or particularly significant cases.
In January 2023, the New York Times filed a lawsuit against the European Commission after it stated it did not possess Von der Leyen’s alleged text messages, which the newspaper had requested through a freedom of information inquiry.
Bourla reportedly confirmed that he and Von der Leyen exchanged private messages and that she indicated her personal involvement in negotiating the vaccine purchase contracts.
While the New York Times has insisted on the release of the alleged communications, Von der Leyen maintains that she deleted most of her exchanges with Bourla.
Next month, the EU court is anticipated to ask representatives of the commission whether the messages central to the case ever existed and, if they did, why they were subsequently destroyed, according to the Financial Times.
In an unrelated case in mid-July, the EU’s general court found that the Commission had withheld details regarding multibillion-euro Covid vaccine deals with Pfizer and AstraZeneca without a valid justification. In 2021, a group of Members of the European Parliament requested access to these documents to ensure public interest protection and to confirm that members of the EU negotiating team had no conflicts of interest.
The Commission only permitted the release of a redacted version and declined to disclose the identities of the negotiating team members, prompting the lawmakers to escalate the matter to court.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
