Overview

• The EU’s General Court ruled that the European Commission wrongly denied access to text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations.
• The court found the Commission failed to provide a credible explanation for why the texts were not considered substantive or why they could not be located.
• The decision obliges the Commission to conduct a new review of the Freedom of Information request and provide a detailed explanation if the messages are still withheld.
• Transparency advocates hailed the ruling as a significant step toward accountability, while critics highlighted its potential impact on von der Leyen's leadership credibility.
• The Commission has two months to appeal the ruling and has indicated it will adopt a new decision addressing the court's concerns.