Belgian Court Orders Poland and Romania to Accept €1.9 Billion COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery

A Belgian court has ruled that Poland and Romania must accept €1.9 billion in COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech. This decision follows a legal case initiated by Pfizer to enforce the terms of a contract made with the European Commission in 2020.

Poland and Romania had resisted the contract, citing the evolving pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and an alleged abuse of dominant market position by Pfizer. The Brussels court dismissed these reasons, stating that both countries are obligated to comply and pay for the agreed doses.

Poland's health ministry plans to explore all legal options to contest the ruling, while Romania faces additional penalties if payments are delayed. Pfizer emphasized the significance of honoring contractual commitments as the basis of a successful European response to the pandemic.