dailyloe.com – A Belgian court has ordered Poland and Romania to accept and pay for €1.9 billion worth of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech. The ruling came on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in a case initiated by Pfizer in late 2023. The court dismissed the countries’ arguments for refusing the contracted doses.
Pfizer sued the two European Union member states to enforce a vaccine supply contract. This contract was originally signed between the European Commission and the pharmaceutical company. It committed EU nations to purchasing a set number of doses over several years.
Poland refused to comply with the contract in April 2022. It cited the pandemic’s evolution and the war in Ukraine as reasons. Poland also alleged a possible abuse of dominant position by Pfizer.
Romania later followed Poland’s lead and refused the vaccine deliveries. The Brussels court rejected both countries’ legal arguments entirely. It ordered them to take delivery of the doses and pay Pfizer.
Poland was ordered to accept vaccines worth €1.3 billion. Romania was ordered to accept doses valued at €600 million. The total order is equivalent to approximately $2.2 billion.
Poland’s Health Ministry stated it intends to pursue all legal remedies. It aims to amend the ruling and defend its national interests. The ministry added the ruling requires detailed analysis regarding implementation.
Pfizer said it expects both countries to fulfill their payment obligations. The company stated the decision reflects the importance of contractual obligations. It said these underpinned a successful European pandemic response built on solidarity.
During the pandemic’s acute phase, the EU agreed to buy huge vaccine volumes. This was a collective strategy to secure supply for all member states. The recent court ruling reinforces the binding nature of those agreements.[]
Source: Yahoo Finance
