EU court adviser: Public should have had more access to Covid contracts

An adviser to Europe's top court has recommended dismissing an appeal by the European Commission against a ruling that would force greater public access to its COVID-19 vaccine contracts. Advocate General Athanasios Rantos stated that the transparency of negotiating these agreements constitutes a specific public interest under EU law.

Rantos recommended upholding a prior ruling that annulled the Commission's decision to redact the names of negotiators and certain contractual clauses. The Commission had argued that revealing negotiator identities could expose them to abuse and harassment, and that commercial interests needed protection. However, Rantos stated the Commission's stance does not allow for accountability.

The recommendation is seen as a setback for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was in leadership during the pandemic. This issue has been used to question the transparency of the EU's executive body under her leadership. In a separate, non-appealed ruling, the court previously mandated the disclosure of text messages exchanged between von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer during vaccine contract negotiations.