EU Court Rules Against Commission's Withholding of Text Messages
(MENAFN) The European Commission acted unlawfully when it denied the release of text messages exchanged between its president, Ursula von der Leyen, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU's General Court declared on Wednesday.
The messages, exchanged ahead of a substantial vaccine agreement, became the subject of an ongoing dispute over transparency after journalists sought access to them.
Initially, the European Commission denied the existence of the messages, which were first disclosed in a 2021 interview von der Leyen gave to the media
In its ruling, the General Court condemned the European Commission for failing to provide a reasonable justification for not disclosing the text messages.
The court emphasized that the EU executive “failed to explain in a plausible manner why it considered that the text messages exchanged in the context of the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines did not contain important information … the retention of which must be ensured.”
This decision is expected to have significant consequences for transparency and accountability within EU institutions.
Additionally, it undermines von der Leyen’s personal credibility, especially amid ongoing scrutiny regarding her involvement in vaccine procurement.
Central to the case was a legal dispute over whether text messages should be classified as official documents.
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