New York Times Takes European Commission to Court Over Covid Vaccine Deal

The European Commission is facing a lawsuit demanding the release of text messages between the EU's top official and Pfizer's CEO regarding a multibillion-euro Covid-19 vaccine deal. The case questions whether such texts qualify as documents under transparency laws, potentially setting a legal precedent. The lawsuit arose from attempts to access messages exchanged during negotiations between the EU's president and Pfizer's chief executive. The Commission claims these messages were not documented, citing they were "ephemeral." Concerns over transparency in the vaccine deal have grown, with criticism focusing on how public funds were managed. The Commission insists it balanced public access to information while adhering to legal requirements of the contracts. The case is under review by the General Court in Luxembourg, with a decision pending in the coming months.