Europe: Covid-19 contract-transparency ruling fails to cloud Von der Leyen's future

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The General Court of the European Union ruled against the Commission's practice of heavily redacting Covid-19 vaccine contracts before their public release.

This ruling came just over 24 hours before Von der Leyen faced a crucial vote in the European Parliament, where she needed 361 out of 720 lawmakers' support in a secret ballot to determine her political future.

The Greens, a political group within the European Parliament known for their environmental advocacy, brought this case to the court. It argued that such redactions hindered transparency and public accountability, particularly regarding crucial agreements during the pandemic.

It filed requests to access the vaccine contracts and certain related documents to understand the agreement between the Commission and Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers in 2021.

The Commission argued that some sections had been redacted to protect commercial interests or for privacy matters. It also declined to reveal the personal information of the officials involved in negotiating the vaccine purchases, citing privacy concerns.

Tilly Metz, a Green MEP who was involved in filing the lawsuit, described the ruling as "significant for the future," highlighting that the Commission's future joint procurements — in health and potentially defense — would be affected.

Von der Leyen, a member of the centre-right European People’s Party, secured 401 votes in the secret ballot, surpassing the required 361 votes to be elected. There were 284 votes against her, 15 abstentions, and 7 invalid votes.